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Approaches
to Anthropological Archaeology
Edited by: Thomas E. Levy
Editorial Board:
Guillermo Algaze (University of California, San
Diego)
Geoffrey E. Braswell (University of California,
San Diego)
Paul S. Goldstein (University of California, San
Diego)
Joyce Marcus (University of Michigan)
This series
recognizes the fundamental role that anthropology
now plays in archaeology and also integrates the
strengths of various research paradigms that characterize
archaeology on the world scene today. Some of these
different approaches include ‘New’ or ‘Processual’
archaeology, ‘Post-Processual’, evolutionist, cognitive,
symbolic, Marxist, and historical archaeologies.
Anthropological archaeology accomplishes its goals
by taking into account the cultural and, when possible,
historical context of the material remains being
studied. This involves the development of models
concerning the formative role of cognition, symbolism,
and ideology in human societies to explain the more
material and economic dimensions of human culture
that are the natural purview of archaeological data.
It also involves an understanding of the cultural
ecology of the societies being studied, and of the
limitations and opportunities that the environment
(both natural and cultural) imposes on the evolution
or devolution of human societies. Based on the assumption
that cultures never develop in isolation, Anthropological
Archaeology takes a regional approach to tackling
fundamental issues concerning past cultural evolution
anywhere in the world.
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