Archaeology and its Discontents by John C Barrett

Archaeology and its Discontents by John C Barrett

Archaeology and its Discontents examines the state of archaeology today and its development throughout the twentieth century, making a powerful case for new approaches. Surveying the themes of twentieth-century archaeological theory, Barrett looks at their successes, limitations, and failures. Seeing more failures and limitations than successes, he argues that archaeology has over-focused on explaining the human construction of material variability and should instead be more concerned with understanding how human diversity has been constructed. Archaeology matters, he argues, precisely because of the insights it can offer into the development of human diversity. The analysis and argument are illustrated throughout by reference to the development of the European Neolithic. Arguing both for new approaches and for the importance of archaeology as a discipline, Archaeology and its Discontents is for archaeologists at all levels, from student to professor and trainee to experienced practitioner.

"Archaeology and Its Discontents is a challenging, and immensely stimulating read" - Mike Pitts, British Archaeology

"Archaeology and Its Discontents is a book I cannot praise enough; it should be required reading for all archaeologist, and not just those interested in prehistory." - Stratos Nanoglou, American Journal of Archaeology

"Archaeology and Its Discontents is a valuable contribution to debating the histories of archaeological philosophies and for understanding the field’s relevance to ecological humanities." - Stephanie Koerner, Antiquity

John C. Barrett is Emeritus Professor of Archaeology at the University of Sheffield, having previously taught at the Universities of Leeds and Glasgow. He is the author of Fragments from Antiquity (1994) and co-author, with Michael Boyd, of From Stonehenge to Mycenae (2019). His research has focused upon British and European prehistory and archaeological theory.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780367556457
ISBN 10	0367556456
Title	Archaeology and its Discontents
Author	John C Barrett
Series	Themes In Archaeology Series
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Paperback
Publisher	Taylor & Francis Ltd
Year published	2021-03-31
Number of pages	180
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.