Reading the Past Current Approaches to Interpretation in Archaeology

The third edition of this classic introduction to archaeological theory and method has been fully updated to address the burgeoning of theoretical debate throughout the discipline. Ian Hodder and Scott Hutson argue that archaeologists must bring to bear a variety of perspectives in the complex and uncertain task of constructing meaning from the past. While remaining centred on the importance of hermeneutics, agency and history, the authors explore cutting-edge developments in areas such as post-structuralism, neo-evolutionary theory and whole new branches of theory such as phenomenology. With the addition of two completely new chapters, the third edition of Reading the Past presents an authoritative, state-of-the-art analysis of contemporary archaeological theory. Also including new material on feminist archaeology, historical approaches such as cultural history, and theories of discourse and signs, this book represents essential reading for any student or scholar with an interest in the past.

Preface to the third edition; 1. The problem; 2. Processual and systems approaches; 3. Structuralist, post-structuralist and semiotic archaeologies; 4. Marxism and ideology; 5. Agency and practice; 6. Embodied archaeology; 7. Archaeology and history; 8. Contextual archaeology; 9. Post-processual archaeology; 10. Conclusion: archaeology as archaeology; Bibliography; Index.

The third edition of this classic introduction to archaeological theory and method has been fully updated to address cutting-edge developments in areas such as post-structuralism and neo-evolutionary theory, and the emergence of new branches of theory such as phenomenology.

Professor Ian Hodder is Dunlevie Family Professor in the Department of Cultural and Social Anthropology at Stanford University.
Scott Hutson is a Post-Doctoral Research Scholar at the Archaeological Research Facility, University of California, Berkeley