1st Edition

Debating Archaeological Empiricism The Ambiguity of Material Evidence

Edited By Charlotta Hillerdal, Johannes Siapkas Copyright 2015
    208 Pages
    by Routledge

    208 Pages
    by Routledge

    Debating Archaeological Empiricism examines the current intellectual turn in archaeology, primarily in its prehistoric and classical branches, characterized by a return to the archaeological evidence. Each chapter in the book approaches the empirical from a different angle, illuminating contemporary views and uses of the archaeological material in interpretations and theory building. The inclusion of differing perspectives in this collection mirrors the conceptual landscape that characterizes the discipline, contributing to the theoretical debate in archaeology and classical studies. As well as giving an important snapshot of the practical as well as theoretical uses of materiality in archaeologies today, this volume looks to the future of archaeology as an empirical discipline.

    Introduction



    Johannes Siapkas & Charlotta Hillerdal



     



    Why ‘The Death of Archaeological Theory’?



    Julian Thomas



    Comment by Johannes Siapkas



    Comment by Christopher Witmore



    Archaeology and the Second Empiricism



    Christopher Witmore



    Comment by Frands Herschend



    Comment by Michael Fotiadis





    Public Archaeological Challenges in the 2010s: Learning from Participatory Action in Practice



    Katherine Hauptman



    Comment by Charlotta Hillerdal



    Comment by Julian Thomas





    Students First, Please!



    Michael Fotiadis



    Comment by Frands Herschend



    Comment by Katherine Hauptman





    Archaeology is History or it’s History



    Frands Herschend



    Comment by Katherine Hauptman



    Comment by Johannes Siapkas





    Empirical Tensions in the Materialities of Time



    Charlotta Hillerdal



    Comment by Julian Thomas



    Comment by Michael Fotiadis





    Neo-Empirical Mixtures



    Johannes Siapkas



    Comment by Christopher Witmore



    Comment by Charlotta Hillerdal



     



    Postscript



    Gavin Lucas

    Biography

    Charlotta Hillerdal is Lecturer in Archaeology, University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Hillerdal’s research focuses on theoretical archaeology, social identities and ethnic constructions. Her main research areas are Indigenous archaeology (esp. Yupik Alaska) and Viking Age Scandinavia and diaspora. Previous publications include: People in Between. Ethnicity and Material Culture – a New Approach to Deconstructed concepts





    Johannes Siapkas is Associate Professor in Classical Archaeology and Ancient History, Uppsala University, Sweden. Siapkas' research focuses on the epistemological foundations of Classical Studies, and modern appropriations of classical antiquity. Previous publications include: Heterological Ethnicity, Displaying the Ideals of Antiquity (co-authored).