1st Edition

Historical Archaeology Why the Past Matters

By Barbara J Little Copyright 2007
    208 Pages
    by Routledge

    208 Pages
    by Routledge

    What is historical archaeology and why is it important? Well-known archaeologist Barbara Little addresses these key questions for introductory students in this concise, inexpensive, and well-written text. Little covers the goals of historical archaeological work, the kinds of questions it asks, and the ethical and political concerns it raises. She shows what historical archaeology can provide that neither of its parent disciplines can offer alone. Little offers brief snapshots of key American sites: Jamestown, Mission San Luis, West Oakland, the African American Burial Ground, and the Garbage Project, among others. And she shows how historical archaeology is inextricably linked to public education, justice issues, and our collective understanding of the past. As an introductory guide for historical archaeology and similar courses, or as thought-provoking reading for professionals, this volume is unmatched in quality and scope.

    Chapter 1 Do History and Historical Archaeology Matter?; What Are Our Ambitions?; Chapter 2 The Goals of Historical Archaeology; Chapter 3 Preserving and Interpreting Sites; Chapter 4 Rewriting Documentary History; Chapter 5 Reconstructing Ways of Life; Chapter 6 Improving Archaeological Methods; Chapter 7 Understanding Modernization and Globalization; What Do We Care About?; Chapter 8 A Questioning Attitude; Chapter 9 Defining Our Topics; Chapter 10 Colonialism, Capitalism, and Slavery; Chapter 11 What Is Our Evidence?; Chapter 12 Ideology, Ambiguity, and Muted Groups; Chapter 13 Ethical Considerations; A Windshield Survey of Historical Archaeology; Chapter 14 Introduction to a Windshield Survey of Historical Archaeology; Chapter 15 The Survival of the English Colony at Jamestown; Chapter 16 Mission San Luis de Talimali; Chapter 17 Enclosure of the English Countryside; Chapter 18 Capitalism, the Georgian Order, and a Woman; Chapter 19 Australia’s Convict Past; Chapter 20 African American Life; Chapter 21 The Machine in the Garden; Chapter 22 The Inner-City Working Class; Chapter 23 Garbage and Garbage-in-Waiting; Historical Archaeology as Public Scholarship; Chapter 24 Introduction to Public Archaeology; Chapter 25 Public Memory and Public Places; Chapter 26 Education and Outreach; Chapter 27 What About the Painful Past?; Chapter 28 History and the Culture Wars; Chapter 29 Civic Renewal and Restorative Justice; Chapter 30 Transformative Learning and Archaeology; Chapter 31 Some Closing Thoughts;

    Biography

    Little, Barbara J