Conversations about Time

This book presents a conversation between two prominent archaeologists who have been exploring the concept of time in their discipline for several decades. It is a discussion on key issues of time in archaeology filtered through their unique perspectives, which sometimes meet and at other times, clash. Key features include discussions on the nature of change and time in the archaeological record, the relation between the present and past, the connection between time and the goals of archaeology and the relevance of the Anthropocene to disciplinary practice. Situated in how the authors' own views on the topic of time have developed over their careers, the conversation offers an intimate and personal insight into how two leading scholars think and debate a topic of central importance to the discipline. All archaeologists with an interest in contemporary theory and the topic of time will find this book of relevance. Also the student who wants a front-row seat onto a live debate on this topic will find it an invaluable complement to the more traditional textbook.

List of Figures; List of Tables; Prologue; Chapter 1. In the Beginning; Chapter 2. Life after Cambridge; Chapter 3. The Past; Chapter 4. The Present; Chapter 5. The Future; Chapter 6. Time Out; Epilogue; Index.

Gavin Lucas is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Iceland. His main research interests lie in archaeological method and theory and the archaeology of the modern world. His most recent books include Writing the Past (2019) and Making Time (2021), both also published by Routledge. Laurent Olivier is Chief Curator of the Celtic and Gallic Department of the National Museum of Archaeology at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France. His main research interests are in archaeological history and theory and Iron Age archaeology. His most recent books include Le Pays des Celtes: mémoires de la Gaule (2018) and César contre Vercingétorix (2019).