Table Of Content

Archaeological Theory in a Nutshell To the memory of Dave Fredrickson Vera-Mae Fredrickson Jim Deetz Their influence on my life and work was immeasurable. Without them I’d probably be a lawyer. Archaeological Theory in a Nutshell Written and illustrated by Adrian Praetzellis First published 2015 by Left Coast Press, Inc. Published 2016 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Copyright © 2015 Taylor & Francis All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Praetzellis, Adrian, 1952- Archaeological theory in a nutshell / written and illustrated by Adrian Praetzellis. pages cm Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-1-62958-158-3 (hardback : alkaline paper) — ISBN 978-1-62958- 159-0 (paperback : alkaline paper) — ISBN 978-1-62958-161-3 (consumer eBook) 1. Archaeology—Philosophy—Textbooks. I. Title. CC72.P725 2015 930.1—dc23 2014047470 ISBN 978-1-62958-158-3 hardcover ISBN 978-1-62958-159-0 paperback CONTENTS Acknowledgments 7 Chapter 1 How Theory Works 9 Chapter 2 Neoevolutionism 29 Chapter 3 Marxism 41 Chapter 4 Critical Theory 51 Chapter 5 Postcolonalism 61 Chapter 6 Feminism 73 Chapter 7 Queer Theory 85 Chapter 8 Structuralism 95 Chapter 9 Agency, Structure, and Structuration 109 Chapter 10 Transgressive Archaeologies 119 Chapter 11 Archaeological Biography 133 Chapter 12 Phenomenology 143 Chapter 13 Materiality and Thing Theory 155 Chapter 14 The Next Big Thing, 167 or Where Do We Go From Here? Chapter 15 Parlez-vous Po-Mo? 179 A Mostly Postmodern Phrasebook Indexes 201 About the Author/Illustrator 207 This page intentionally left blank Acknowledgments I got a theory: it might be bunnies. Joss Whedon, Buﬀ y the Vampire Slayer I had worked on this book intermittently for some time before getting the opportunity to complete it as part of a sabbatical leave generously awarded by Sonoma State University. To fi nish up, I took several brief escapes from the demands of my work at SSU’s Anthropological Studies Center (which didn’t stop for a mere sabbatical) to ‘undisclosed locations’ disconnected from phone, email, and the rest. Many thanks to Loysie and John, Maria and Tony, and Doug and Sharon for lending me their get- away places. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support and patience of Mary, my friend, colleague, and loving companion for more than 40 years. Thank you! Adrian Praetzellis Cloverdale, California November 10, 2014 This page intentionally left blank CHAPTER 1 How Theory Works He who translates entirely literally is a liar, while he who adds anything is a blasphemer. Tosafos Megillah What this book’s about Theory is the eat-your-vegetables part of archaeology. Everyone says it’s good for you, but actually getting it down isn’t consid- ered much fun. Before the arrival of books like Matthew Johnson’s excellent Archaeological Theory (as well as my own more modest Death by Theory), university courses in theory generally assigned mostly classic articles. And that is good. Everyone should read Lewis Binford’s Archeology as Anthropology and Ian Hodder on symbols. But however virtuous it is to read the stuff , actually grinding through their sometimes convoluted (Binford) and abstract (Hodder) language has sent generations of graduate students running for the door. The same goes for those edited Archaeological Theory in a Nutshell: Adrian Praetzellis, 9–28. © 2015 Left Coast Press, Inc. All rights reserved. 9