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David Hurst Thomas & Robert L. Kelly
Publication Date: January 16, 2009
This book is about what archaeologists want to learn, how they go about learning it, and what they do with what they have learned. These tasks require archaeologists to piece together a picture of the past from scraps of bone, rock, pottery, architecture, and other remains that are hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands of years old. And, as we will see, the very nature of archaeology carries with it some serious ethical dilemmas.
In this book, we will look at some of the perspectives that characterize today’s archaeology: scientific and humanistic, objective and subjective, ecological and ideational. Sometimes these approaches coexist, sometimes they clash. As we discuss these various archaeological perspectives, you should keep a couple of things in mind: First, no archaeologist fits perfectly into any of these named categories, and second, there is more than one way to do good archaeology.
This chapter looks at how archaeology has evolved. Archaeology is a relatively young discipline, still going through some growing pains. To raise some key issues that define the way modern archaeologists practice their craft, we begin with an example that illustrates some of the ethical dilemmas that archaeologists face today.
In this book, we will look at some of the perspectives that characterize today’s archaeology: scientific and humanistic, objective and subjective, ecological and ideational. Sometimes these approaches coexist, sometimes they clash. As we discuss these various archaeological perspectives, you should keep a couple of things in mind: First, no archaeologist fits perfectly into any of these named categories, and second, there is more than one way to do good archaeology.
This chapter looks at how archaeology has evolved. Archaeology is a relatively young discipline, still going through some growing pains. To raise some key issues that define the way modern archaeologists practice their craft, we begin with an example that illustrates some of the ethical dilemmas that archaeologists face today.
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