Archaeology of Mesopotamia, Theories and Approaches

by Roger Matthews

The only critical guide to the theory and method of Mesopotamian archaeology, this innovative volume evaluates the theories, methods, approaches and history of Mesopotamian archaeology from its origins in the nineteenth century up to the present day. Ancient Mesopotamia (modern Iraq), was the original site of many of the major developments in human history, such as farming, the rise of urban literate societies and the first great empires of Akkad, Babylonia and Assyria. Dr. Matthews places the discipline within its historical and social context, and explains how archaeologists conduct their research through excavation, survey and other methods. In four fundamental chapters, he uses illustrated case-studies to show how archaeologists have approached central themes such * the shift from hunting to farming
* complex societies
* empires and imperialism
* everyday life. This will be both an ideal introductory work and useful as background reading on a wide range of courses.

Genres: Archaeology, History, Anthropology, Nonfiction

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 16, 2003

Reviews

[Zirvita · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an amazing compilation of all that a researcher needs to know about archaeology in west Asia. In scarcely 200 pages, Matthews is able to show an impressive capacity of condensation without losing scientific accuracy. The book could easily be read as well by a non-specialist audience, thanks to the fluidity of Matthews prose and his ability to explain complex concepts in plain terms.
The first chapter, in which he tries to define the discipline per se, it is a necessary contribution that is a mixture of literature review and historiography and that, I must say, is not easily found in specialist contributions that tend to skip to the most specific part without considering first the historiographic frame that is absolutely essential to understand the discipline as it is today.
He also pays due attention to the drawbacks of western Asiatic archaeology (and archaeology in general) and its excessive preoccupation with excavating palaces and temples, including a critique to the usual tendency to skip theoretical-epistemological debates, questioning that he founds as the basis for any good scientific practice.
He also dedicates a chapter to chronology as well as to household archaeology, one of the most brilliantly exposed synthesis of the state of the art in the field. He not only discusses different attempts to solve the puzzle of social complexity in antiquity but also highlights hindrances, drawbacks and potentialities if enought attention is put onto transdisciplinary research and a well-sounded theoretical background.
The list of references is exceptional as well.
Highly recommended.

[Miriam Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pithy, thorough, fascinating

You pay a hefty price for this slim volume, but it delivers a lot: an introduction to the methods and theories of archaeology, a historical context for European archaeology in Iraq and how it has shaped our views of `Mesopotamia', and a fascinating series of case studies which illustrate key moments in the transition from hunter-gatherer communities to the eventual establishment of the world's first empires.

[Jeff · Rating 5 out of 5]

My personal favorite for the history of archaeological and post-processual theory.