Interpreting Archaeology

by Ian Hodder (Primary Contributor), Alexandra Alexandri (Editor), Victor Buchli (Editor)

There has been a profound shift in the direction of archaeological activity in the last fifteen years, a change reflected in this volume. While excavation remains a professional priority, the interpretation of archaeological evidence is now attracting increasing critical study. In part this is stemmed from the public demand for explanation of archaeological evidence, which moves beyond the more restricted academic debate among archaeologists. But it also follows from a desire among archaeologists to come to terms with their own subjective approaches to the material they study, and a recognition of how past researchers have also imposed their own value systems on the evidence which they presented.
This volume provides a forum for debate between varied approaches to the past from leading archaeologists in Europe, North America, Asia and Australasia. It addresses the philosophical issues involved in interpretation, and the origins of meaning in the evolution and emergence of 'mind' in early hominids. It covers the ways in which material culture is understood and presented in museums, and how the nature of history is itself in flux.

Genres: Archaeology

286 pages, Paperback

First published May 30, 1995

About the author

Ian Hodder is Dunleavie Family Professor of Archaeology at Stanford University. A Fellow of the British Academy, he has received numerous awards for his accomplishments, including the Oscar Montelius Medal from the Swedish Society of Antiquaries, the Huxley Memorial Medal by the Royal Anthropological Institute, the Fyssen International Prize, and the Gold Medal by the Archaeological Institute of America, along with honorary doctorates from the Bristol and Leiden Universities. Hodder is the author of numerous books, including Symbols in Action (Cambridge, 1982), Reading the Past (Cambridge, 1982), and Entangled: An Archaeology of the Relationships between Humans and Things (2012).

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

Theoretical works tend to have obtuse concepts, confounding many undergraduates and graduates alike. Hodder's book provides a well-written and understandable explanation of post-processualism and the need to go beyond strict theoretical guidelines in archaeology. In short, there is a lot more theoretical wiggle room than many archaeologists would like to admit. I would recommend this book as an excellent companion to any broader text on archaeological theory.

The long winded debate between Lewis Binford and Ian Hodder has both confused and irritated many budding anthropologists and archaeologists during the study of archaeological theory. Having the one of the major forerunners of Processual Theory pitting against the forerunner of Postprocessual theory doesn't expand theoretical concepts, but hinders the development of the field. In this book, Hodder and the other contributors have a more conciliatory tone, demonstrating a need to combine the best of each archaeological theory.