Synopses & Reviews
In studying the past, archaeologists have focused on the material remains of our ancestors. Prehistorians generally have only artifacts to study and rely on the diverse material record for their understanding of past societies and their behavior. Those involved in studying historically documented cultures not only have extensive material remains but also contemporary texts, images, and a range of investigative technologies to enable them to build a broader and more reflexive picture of how past societies, communities, and individuals operated and behaved. Increasingly, historical archaeology refers not to a particular period, place, or a method, but rather an approach that interrogates the tensions between artifacts and texts irrespective of context. In short, historical archaeology provides direct evidence for how humans have shaped the world we live in today. Historical archaeology is a branch of global archaeology that has grown in the last 40 years from its North American base into an increasingly global community of archaeologists each studying their area of the world in a historical context. Where historical archaeology started as part of the study of the post-Columbian societies of the United States and Canada, it has now expanded to interface with the post-medieval archaeologies of Europe and the diverse post-imperial experiences of Africa, Latin America, and Australasia. The 36 essays in the International Handbook of Historical Archaeology have been specially commissioned from the leading researchers in their fields, creating a wide-ranging digest of the increasingly global field of historical archaeology. The volume is divided into two sections, the first reviewing the key themes, issues, and approaches of historical archaeology today, and the second containing a series of case studies charting the development and current state of historical archaeological practice around the world. This key reference work captures the energy and diversity of this global discipline today.
Synopsis
Historical archaeology is a branch of global archaeology that has grown into an increasingly global community. The essays in this book have been commissioned from leading international researchers to create a wide-ranging digest of historical archaeology.
Synopsis
To study the past, archeologists focus on the material remains of our ancestors. Those who study prehistory can only use artifacts to develop theories about past societies. Those involved in historical or post-medieval archeology not only have material remains, but also often have an historical record to help them find answers. This seminal handbook brings together a global group of historical archeologists, each discussing his or her research. Along with case studies, themes in historical archeology such as theories of capitalism, gender, and race are discussed. This reference work belongs on the bookshelf of every historical archeologist. It is also ideal for graduate-level historical archeology courses.
Table of Contents
Class and Race.- Ethical Issues in Historical Archaeology.- Colonies, Colonialism, and Cultural Entanglement.- Landscape Approaches in Historical Archaeology. Historical Archaeology and the Environment. -Zooarchaeology and Historical Archaeology.- Going, Going, Gone. Preparing for an Afterlife on Earth.- Making Historical Archaeology Postcolonial.- The Current State and Future Prospects of Theory in European Post-Medieval Archaeology.- Consumerist Studies in Historical Archaeology.- Artifacts and Personal Identity.- Systematics in Artifact Categorization.- World-Systems Theory, Networks, and Modern-World. -Wholes, Halves, and Vacant Quarters: Ethnohistory and Historical Methodology.- Industrial Archaeology.- Archaeological Patterns of Frontier Military Sites. -Men-Women and Children. Interpretive Historical Archaeology.- Historical Archaeology of Native Americans.- Asian American Studies in Historical Archaeology.- Historical Archaeology on a Global Scale.- Family Resemblances.- Archaeology of La Florida.- Historical Archaeology in South America.- Historical Archaeology in Mesoamerica.- Central American Historical Archaeology.- Archaeologies of African and the Diaspora.- On the Fringes of New Spain: The Northern Borderlands and the Pacific.- Exploration, Exploitation, and Settlement.- An Embarrassment of Riches? Post-Medieval Archaeology in Northern Europe.- Historical Development of Post-Medieval Archaeology.- African Historical Archaeology.- Caribbean Historical Archaeology.- French Colonial Archaeology.- Natives and Newcomers in the Antipodes. -Above and Beyond Ancient Mounds: The Archaeology of the Modern Periods in the Middle East/Eastern Mediterranean.