Death by Theory: A Tale of Mystery and Archaeological Theory

199 Pages·2011·3.02 MB·English

by  Adrian Praetzellis

Death by Theory
http://avaxhome.ws/blogs/ChrisRedfield
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Death by Theory
A Tale of Mystery and
Archaeological Theory
REVISED EDITION
Adrian Praetzellis
Adivisionof
ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD PUBLISHERS, INC.
Lanham•NewYork•Toronto•Plymouth,UK
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PublishedbyAltaMiraPress
AdivisionofRowman&LittlefieldPublishers,Inc.
AwhollyownedsubsidiaryofTheRowman&LittlefieldPublishingGroup,Inc.
4501ForbesBoulevard,Suite200,Lanham,Maryland20706
http://www.altamirapress.com
EstoverRoad,PlymouthPL67PY,UnitedKingdom
Copyright(cid:2)2011byAltaMiraPress
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanyelectronic
ormechanicalmeans,includinginformationstorageandretrievalsystems,withoutwritten
permissionfromthepublisher,exceptbyareviewerwhomayquotepassagesinareview.
BritishLibraryCataloguinginPublicationInformationAvailable
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Praetzellis,Adrian,1952–
Deathbytheory:ataleofmysteryandarchaeologicaltheory/AdrianPraetzellis.—
Rev.ed.
p. cm.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN978-0-7591-1957-4(cloth:alk.paper)
ISBN978-0-7591-1958-1(pbk.:alk.paper)
ISBN978-0-7591-1959-8(electronic)
1.Archaeology. 2.Archaeology—Methodology. I.Title.
CC72.P73 2011
930.1072—dc22
2010043857
(cid:3)(cid:2)(cid:4)
ThepaperusedinthispublicationmeetstheminimumrequirementsofAmerican
NationalStandardforInformationSciences—PermanenceofPaperforPrintedLibrary
Materials,ANSI/NISOZ39.48-1992.
PrintedintheUnitedStatesofAmerica
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CONTENTS
Prefaceto theSecondEdition vii
Acknowledgments ix
1. ‘‘A’’IsforArchaeology 1
InWhichDr.GreenandMr.DoyleAreEnlisted
2. ‘‘A’’Is(Also)forArtifact 13
InWhichWeLearnThatSometimesaRockIsJustaRock
3. ‘‘B’’IsforBinford 28
InWhichWeLearnWhat’sNewaboutArchaeology
4. ‘‘C’’ IsforCultureProcess,and‘‘E’’Isfor
Ethnoarchaeology 40
InWhichWeLearnHowtheNewArcheology GrewOld
5. ‘‘D’’IsforDiffusion 56
InWhichDr.GreenGoesfromDiffusionto Confusion
6. ‘‘M’’IsforMaterialism 74
InWhichWeLookintotheMindofa Cannibal
7. ‘‘G’’IsforGender 95
InWhichControversyIsEn-gendered
8. ‘‘M’’IsforMarx(Karl,ThatIs) 115
InWhichMr.Doyle’sAncestorsAreOuted
9. ‘‘N’’IsforNeoevolutionism,and‘‘A’’IsforAgency 132
InWhichtheCrew AdapttoTheir Environment
10. ‘‘P’’ IsforPostmodern 150
InWhicha PostmodernKindofTruthIsTold
v
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CONTENTS
Epilogue
InWhichEveryoneGetsJustWhatTheyGet 163
TalkingPoints 167
Glossary 171
ForFurtherReading 178
Index 184
AbouttheAuthor/Illustrator 187
vi
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PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
No one would have thought that Death by Theory would have
archaeologistsallovertheworldclamoringforasecondedition.
Andinfacttheydidn’t.
Nevertheless,thefirsteditiondidachievemodestsuccessintheunap-
preciated field of archaeology/mystery/textbooks, which is why today I’m
stillpoundingoutprofunditiesontheoldMacBook.
Secondhandtextbooksarecheaperthannewonessinceneitherauthor
norpublishergetspaid.Authorslikemeandpublisherslikeminemakea
living by selling new books. We both have a clear incentive to create new
editions of popular textbooks, and it is legitimate when there’s a good
educational reason. Looking back on these revisions, I think the second
edition of Death by Theory is significantly better than the first. Several
reviewers of the 2000 edition made good suggestions for improvement
(thankyou),someofwhichI’veactuallyfollowed:
•
There’sanewchapteronagencyand neoevolutionarytheory.
•
The ‘‘Talking Points’’ and ‘‘Further Reading’’ sections have
beenexpanded,andthereferencesupdated.
•
Someone recommended that adding illustrations of the action
would help develop atmosphere and make the story more fun,
soIdidit.
•
Finally,I’mindebtedtothereviewerwhowrotethatsometimes
the language sounded like I had ‘‘swallowed a dictionary.’’ He
orshewas right,andI’vetriedtofixit.
At least one inquiring mind wanted to know how my character Ian
NigelTulivergothisname.
vii
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PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION
First, I wanted two forenames that sounded English—you know,
English from England. There are few creatures so arrogant as a snooty
Englishacademic,andpicturingtheobnoxiousTuliverasthistypehelped
me bring him to life. The surname Tuliver is an homage to Michael
‘‘Mouse’’ Tolliver, a creation of novelist Armistead Maupin. Not that the
charactersareatallalike.Ijustlikedthesoundof it.
AdrianPraetzellis
Lucia,California
19July2010
viii
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thisbookwouldn’thavebeenpossiblewithoutMary,whogaveme
the freedom to play writer. AltaMira Press founder Mitch Allen
was kind enough (or perhaps weird enough) to take a chance on
thismystery/theorything.Sincethisisthesecondedition,itseemsnotto
have been a bad business decision. My writing coach Penny Warner
laughedatthefunny bitsandtoldmenottogiveup.Notquitetwoyears
old, my granddaughter Diana didn’t help with this book at all. But per-
hapssomedayshemightliketoseehernameinprintandknowthatIwas
thinkingof her.
The anonymous reviewers—they know who they are, though I
don’t—of both the first and second editions were kind enough to spend
their time looking over the manuscript and making pages of helpful sug-
gestions.Ofcourse,noneoftheseworthyscholarsisresponsibleforerrors
of fact or interpretation that they may have overlooked; that’s all my
doing.
ix
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