Archaeological Theory Today

Now in a revised and updated second edition, this volume provides anauthoritative account of the current status of archaeological theory, aspresented by some of its major exponents and innovators over recentdecades. It summarizes the latest developments in the field and looks toits future, exploring some of the cutting-edge ideas at the forefrontof the discipline.The volume captures the diversity ofcontemporary archaeological theory. Some authors argue for an approachclose to the natural sciences, others for an engagement with culturaldebate about representation of the past. Some minimize the relevance ofculture to societal change, while others see it as central; some focuson the contingent and the local, others on long-term evolution. Whilefew practitioners in theoretical archaeology would today argue for aunified disciplinary approach, the authors in this volume increasinglysee links and convergences between their perspectives.The volumealso reflects archaeology’s new openness to external influences, aswell as the desire to contribute to wider debates. The contributorsexamine ways in which archaeological evidence contributes to theories ofevolutionary psychology, as well as to the social sciences in general,where theories of social relationships, agency, landscape and identityare informed by the long-term perspective of archaeology.The new edition of Archaeological Theory Today will continue to be essential reading for students and scholars in archaeology and in the social sciences more generally.