A history of archaeological thought / Bruce G. Trigger.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Trigger, Bruce G.

Contributor:

George Clapp Vaillant Book Fund.

Cambridge University Press.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Archaeology--History.

Archaeology.

History.

Archaeology--Philosophy--History.

Archaeology--Philosophy.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (710 pages (large print.)

Edition:

Second edition.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge [England] ; New York : Cambridge University Press, 2006.

System Details:

text file

Summary:

In its original edition, Bruce Trigger's book was the first ever to examine the history of archaeological thought from medieval times to the present in worldwide perspective. Now, in this new edition, he both updates the original work and introduces new archaeological perspectives and concerns. At once stimulating and even-handed, it places the development of archaeological thought and theory within a broad social and intellectual framework. The successive but interacting trends apparent in archaeological thought are defined and the author seeks to determine the extent to which these trends were a reflection of the personal and collective interests of archaeologists as these relate - in the West at least - to the fluctuating fortunes of the middle classes. Although subjective influences have been powerful, Professor Trigger argues that the gradual accumulation of archaeological data has exercised a growing constraint on interpretation. In turn, this has increased the objectivity of archaeological research and enhanced its value for understanding the entire span of human history and the human condition in general.

Contents:

Studying the history of archaeology

Classical and other text-based archaeologies

Antiquarianism without texts

The beginnings of prehistoric archaeology

Evolutionary archaeology

Culture-historical archaeology

Early functional-processual archaeology

Processualism and postprocessualism

Pragmatic synthesis

The relevance of archaeology.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 583-680) and index.

Electronic reproduction. Cambridge Available via World Wide Web.

Description based on print version record.

Local Notes:

Acquired for the Penn Libraries with assistance from the George Clapp Vaillant Book Fund.

ISBN:

9780511813016

0511813015

Publisher Number:

99977566291

Access Restriction:

Restricted for use by site license.