Theory in Archaeology: A World Perspective

413 Pages·1995·4.74 MB·English

by  Peter J. Ucko

THEORY IN ARCHAEOLOGY
THEORY IN
ARCHAEOLOGY
A world perspective
Edited by Peter J.Ucko
London and New York
First published 1995
by Routledge
11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2005.
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Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada
by Routledge
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© 1995 Peter Ucko and contributors
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or
reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic,
mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in
writing from the publishers.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Theory in Archaeology: A World Perspective.—(Theoretical Archaeology Group
Series)
I. Ucko, Peter J. II. Series
930.1
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data
Theory in archaeology: a world perspective/edited by
Peter J.Ucko.
p. cm.
‘Derives from a conference—flagged as euroTAG—of the Theoretical Archaeology
Group, held at Southampton University from the 14–16 December 1992’—Pref.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Archaeology—Philosophy—Congresses. 2. Archaeology—Congresses. I. Ucko,
Peter J.
CC72.A63 1995
930. 1′01–dc20 94–27877
ISBN 0-203-97328-3 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-415-10677-X (Print Edition)
CONTENTS
List of illustrations xi
List of contributors xiii
General Editor’s Preface xv
Preface x viii
Introduction: archaeological interpretation in a world 1
context
Peter J.Ucko
The nature and importance of all kinds of contacts 2
Regionalisms 6
Nationalisms and culture-history 8
Beyond culture history, through the ‘new archaeology’, to post- 13
processualism
Action or extinction 15
The future 17
Acknowledgements 24
References 24
1 Great Zimbabwe and the Lost City: the cultural 29
colonization of the South African past
Martin Hall
Africa’s Lost City 43
Notes 44
References 45
2 ‘The Hun is a methodical chap’: reflections on the German 47
tradition of pre- and proto-history
Heinrich Härke
Intellectual tradition 48
Structural context 52
Historical background 54
v
Perspectives 57
Acknowledgements 58
Notes 58
References 59
3 Theoretical trends in Indonesian archaeology 62
Daud A.Tanudirjo
Introduction 62
The dawn of Indonesian archaeology 63
The age of exploration 64
The age of synthesis (1900–45) 66
The age of national archaeology 71
Recent developments in Indonesian archaeology 72
Epilogue 74
References 74
4 Theory, practice and criticism in the history of Namibian 77
archaeology
John Kinahan
Introduction 77
Evening on the Rhine 78
The West African spear 80
Namibia after Kossinna 86
Conclusions 90
Acknowledgements 92
References 92
5 European encumbrances to the development of relevant 96
theory in African archaeology
Bassey W.Andah
Some important issues for archaeology 96
The practice of archaeology in Africa 97
Analysis of African sites 98
Ethnoarchaeology and the reconstruction of cultural variety 100
Does African archaeology need theory? 101
Recovery theory 103
Reconstruction theory 104
vi
The hierarchical approach to investigations 105
Conclusion 106
References 107
6 Theoretical perspectives in Indian archaeology: an 109
historical review
K.Paddayya
Indigenous traditions for studying the past 111
European influence 117
The ‘New Archaeology’ and beyond 132
Archaeology and theory in India today 135
The present and the future 138
Notes 140
Acknowledgements 141
References 141
7 The ‘Aboriginalization’ of Australian archaeology: the 148
contribution of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal
Studies to the indigenous transformation of the discipline
Stephanie Moser
Introduction 148
The development of the AIAS 149
The ‘Aboriginalization’ of the the Institute 150
The political reality of Aboriginal studies 153
The return of skeletal remains 155
Land rights 156
Working together in the field 157
Working together on the machinery of government 161
Protecting the resource 162
Making contact 164
The ‘Aboriginalization’ of Australian archaeology 148
Conclusions 168
Notes 170
Acknowledgements 170
References 170
vii
8 Prehistory in a multicultural state: a commentary on the 175
development of Canadian archaeology
Quentin Mackie
Introduction 175
Overview of Canadian archaeology 176
American influences on Canadian archaeology 177
Geographical and cultural proximity 177
Academic training 178
Boasian anthropology 179
Potential European influence in two regional archaeological 180
traditions
Quebec 180
Coastal British Columbia 183
Linguistic relations in the Canadian archaeological community 184
Future directions 185
Conclusions 187
Notes 188
Acknowledgements 189
References 189
9 The socio-politics of the development of archaeology in 194
Hispanic South America
Gustavo Politis
Introduction 194
The rise of national archaeologies 195
The spread of diffusionism 197
After World War II 203
The 1970s, archaeology and militarism 211
Civil rule after the military 215
Conclusions 218
Notes 224
Acknowledgements 224
References 224
10 Mixed features of archaeological theory in Brazil 232
Pedro Paulo A.Funari
viii
Introduction 232
Early European influences 233
The humanist approach and the development of patronage within 234
the archaeological establishment
Pluralism and its theoretical offshoots 238
Conclusion 241
Note 241
Acknowledgements 242
References 242
11 Theoretical underpinnings of Portuguese archaeology in 247
the twentieth century
Vítor Oliveira and Susana Oliveira Jorge
Portuguese archaeology in the 1990s 247
The earlier development of archaeology in Portugal 250
Back to the recent past, the present and, perhaps, the future 252
Notes 256
Acknowledgements 257
References 257
12 Theory and practice in Irish archaeology 259
Gabriel Cooney
Introduction 259
The Irish archaeological perspective on theory 260
The development of modern Irish archaeology 263
The reaction to international trends 265
Migration, culture change and Irish archaeology 266
Archaeology and the politics of the past and the present 267
Note 269
Acknowledgements 269
References 269
13 Who possesses Tara?: politics in archaeology in Ireland 273
Peter C.Woodman
Notes 289
Acknowledgements 289
References 290
ix
14 Archaeological theory in Japan 292
Hiroshi Tsude
Dominance of rescue archaeology 292
Evolutionary theory in the 1950s 295
Myth of the homogeneity of the Japanese 296
From the evolutionary model to the static model 298
Processual and contextual 300
Conclusion 302
Acknowledgements 302
References 302
15 Archaeology against the state: roots of internationalism 305
Christopher Evans
‘Archaeology at home’—a free for all 306
Re-writing the past 309
Abroad ‘and beyond’ 312
Notes 315
Acknowledgements 317
References 318
16 Archaeology in Russia and its impact on archaeological 321
theory
Pavel M.Dolukhanov
The development of Russian archaeology 321
The organization and impact of Russian archaeology 323
Archaeology in Russian today 331
Conclusions 333
References 333
17 Where are we now?: archaeological theory in the 1990s 337
Julian Thomas
On disciplinary identity 337
‘Post-processualism’ 340
The place of theory in the academy 343
Writing, relativism and fragmentation 345
Writing the past 348
Conclusion 352