Urban, Patricia A. 1950-
Archaeological Theory in Practice / Patricia Urban, Edward Schortman. - 1 online resource.
Theory, Perception, and Explanation : World Views and Science -- Theories, Perceptions, and Explanations in the Social Sciences -- Dimensions of Theory in Archaeology -- Putting Theories Together : Archaeological Schools -- Taking on the State in Southern Mesopotamia -- Multiple Views of Stonehenge -- Culture, History, and Adaptation in the Naco Valley -- Crafting Power in the Late Classic Naco Valley -- Practicing Power over Time -- Conclusions -- Glossary.
Many students view archaeological theory as a subject distinct from field research. This division is reinforced by the way theory is taught, often in stand-alone courses that focus more on logic and reasoning than on the application of ideas to fieldwork. Divorcing thought from action does not convey how archaeologists go about understanding the past. This book bridges the gap between theory and practice by looking in detail at how the authors and their colleagues used theory to interpret what they found while conducting research in northwest Honduras. This is not a linear narrative. Rather, the book highlights the open-ended nature of archaeological investigations in which theories guide research whose findings may challenge these initial interpretations and lead in unexpected directions. Pursuing those novel investigations requires new theories that are themselves subject to refutation by newly gathered data. The central case study is the writers' work in Honduras. The interrelations of fieldwork, data, theory, and interpretation are also illustrated with two long-running archaeological debates, the emergence of inequality in southern Mesopotamia and inferring the ancient meanings of Stonehenge. The book is of special interest to undergraduate Anthropology/Archaeology majors and first- and second-year graduate students, along with anyone interested in how archaeologists convert the static materials we find into dynamic histories of long-vanished people.
9781351576192 9781315097138 1315097133 1351576194 9781351576185 1351576186 9780429289149 0429289146 9781000020830 1000020835 9781000021172 1000021173 9781000021004 1000021009
Archaeology--Philosophy--Textbooks.
Archaeology--Research--Case studies.
Archaeology--Fieldwork--Case studies.
Excavations (Archaeology)
SOCIAL SCIENCE / Archaeology
CC72
930.1
Archaeological Theory in Practice / Patricia Urban, Edward Schortman. - 1 online resource.
Theory, Perception, and Explanation : World Views and Science -- Theories, Perceptions, and Explanations in the Social Sciences -- Dimensions of Theory in Archaeology -- Putting Theories Together : Archaeological Schools -- Taking on the State in Southern Mesopotamia -- Multiple Views of Stonehenge -- Culture, History, and Adaptation in the Naco Valley -- Crafting Power in the Late Classic Naco Valley -- Practicing Power over Time -- Conclusions -- Glossary.
Many students view archaeological theory as a subject distinct from field research. This division is reinforced by the way theory is taught, often in stand-alone courses that focus more on logic and reasoning than on the application of ideas to fieldwork. Divorcing thought from action does not convey how archaeologists go about understanding the past. This book bridges the gap between theory and practice by looking in detail at how the authors and their colleagues used theory to interpret what they found while conducting research in northwest Honduras. This is not a linear narrative. Rather, the book highlights the open-ended nature of archaeological investigations in which theories guide research whose findings may challenge these initial interpretations and lead in unexpected directions. Pursuing those novel investigations requires new theories that are themselves subject to refutation by newly gathered data. The central case study is the writers' work in Honduras. The interrelations of fieldwork, data, theory, and interpretation are also illustrated with two long-running archaeological debates, the emergence of inequality in southern Mesopotamia and inferring the ancient meanings of Stonehenge. The book is of special interest to undergraduate Anthropology/Archaeology majors and first- and second-year graduate students, along with anyone interested in how archaeologists convert the static materials we find into dynamic histories of long-vanished people.
9781351576192 9781315097138 1315097133 1351576194 9781351576185 1351576186 9780429289149 0429289146 9781000020830 1000020835 9781000021172 1000021173 9781000021004 1000021009
Archaeology--Philosophy--Textbooks.
Archaeology--Research--Case studies.
Archaeology--Fieldwork--Case studies.
Excavations (Archaeology)
SOCIAL SCIENCE / Archaeology
CC72
930.1