Historical Archaeology

In Historical Archaeology , readers will find lively current debates and case studies in historical archaeology from North America, Latin America, Africa, the Pacific, and Europe. Written by experts in the field, this volume explores how historical archaeologists think about their work and how they piece together information from both material culture and documents to create an understanding of the lives and struggles of people who lived during the course of the last several centuries. Although examining wide–reaching issues of international significance and impact, Historical Archaeology does not subsume local experiences of people into global patterns; instead, it examines the character of local identities and lives.The book serves not only to summarize the current state of historical archaeology, but also to set the course for the field in decades to come.

List of Figures. Notes on Contributors. Acknowledgments. 1. Introduction: Archaeology of the Modern World. (Martin Hall and Stephen W. Silliman). Part I: Dimensions of Practice. 2. Environments of History: Biological Dimensions of Historical Archaeology. (Stephen A. Mrozowski). 3. Material Culture and Text: Exploring the Spaces Within and Between. (Patricia Galloway). 4. The Place of Space: Architecture, Landscape, and Social Life. (Elizabeth P. Pauls). 5. Critical Archaeology: Politics Past and Present. (Matthew M. Palus , Mark P. Leone and Matthew D. Cochran). Part II: Themes in Interpretation. 6. Engendered Archaeology: Women, Men, and Others. (Barbara L. Voss). 7. Ideology and the Material Culture of Life and Death. (Heather Burke). 8. Struggling with Labor, Working with Identities. (Stephen W. Silliman). 9. Exploring the Institution: Reform, Confinement, Social Change. (Lu Ann De Cunzo). 10. A Class All Its Own: Explorations of Class Formation and Conflict. (LouAnn Wurst). Part III: World Systems and Local Living. 11. Conquistadors, Plantations, and Quilombo: Latin America in Historical Archaeological Context. Pedro Funari (DH/IFCH/Unicamp). 12. Gold, Black Ivory, and Houses of Stone: Historical Archaeology in Africa. (Innocent Pikirayi). 13. Becoming American: Small Things Remembered. (Diana DiPaolo Loren and Mary C. Beaudry). 14. Mission, Gold, Furs, and Manifest Destiny: Rethinking an Archaeology of Colonialism for Western North America. (Kent G. Lightfoot). 15. Pacific Encounters, or Beyond the Islands of History. (Jane Lydon). 16. The Tide Reversed: Prospects and Potentials for a Postcolonial Archaeology of Europe. (Matthew Johnson). Index

Martin Hall is Deputy Vice Chancellor and former Professor of Historical Archaeology, University of Cape Town. Stephen W. Silliman is Assistant Professor of Anthropology, University of Massachusetts, Boston.

"This book should be essential reading (and reference) for any student of historical archaeology but even more than that it should be essential reading for all non–historical archaeology archaeologists so that they can understand what it is that we actually do!" ( Australian Archaeology ) " Historical Archaeology is a deservedly self–assured, forward–looking book that insightfully frames many contemporary issues in ways that will stimulate ongoing research and assist a generation of students to become contributors to the goal of developing a global historical archaeology. It should make its way to the top of your pile of things to read." ( Northeast Historical Archaeology ) "Reveals the discipline flourished with international growth, acquiring sophistication associated with the best works by archaeologists. This textbook is a major step … essential reading for students, teachers, and archaeologists worldwide." ( American Antiquity )