1st Edition

Archaeology and Modernity

By Julian Thomas Copyright 2004
    288 Pages
    by Routledge

    288 Pages
    by Routledge

    This is the first book-length study to explore the relationship between archaeology and modern thought, showing how philosophical ideas that developed in the seventeenth to nineteenth centuries still dominate our approach to the material remains of ancient societies.

    Addressing current debates from a new viewpoint, Archaeology and Modernity discusses the modern emphasis on method rather than ethics or meaning, our understanding of change in history and nature, the role of the nation-state in forming our views of the past, and contemporary notions of human individuality, the mind, and materiality.

    List of figures , Preface, Acknowledgements, 1 The emergence of modernity and the constitution of archaeology, 2 Archaeology and the tensions of modernity, 3 The tyranny of method, 4 History and nature, 5 Nation-states, 6 Humanism and ‘the individual’, 7 Depths and surfaces, 8 Mind, perception and knowledge, 9 Materialities, 10 Towards a counter-modern archaeology: Difference, ethics, dialogue, finitude, Bibliography, Index

    Biography

    Julian Thomas

    'A work that will undoubtedly become a modern masterpiece... Archaeology and Modernity is one of the most powerful archaeology books I know. It promises to be of widespread interest in itself; alongside other texts, in particular indigenous critiques and constructs, it will, I suspect, allow archaoelogical practice to enter new historical dimensions. I can enthusiastically recommend it to student and professional alike.' - European Journal of Archaeology