ANTH 372 - Anthropological Theory and Archaeological Praxis

Examines the interplay between theoretical trends in anthropology and the emergence of a reflexive practice of archaeology. Formal archaeology in the U.S. was a latecomer to anthropology, appearing during the era of Franz Boas. Somewhat later, the field became methodologically standardized as a result of the New Deal. After World War II, Americanist archaeology became a battle ground for competing perspectives in anthropology, fueled in part by the appearance of the National Science Foundation. Today, archaeology in the United States and Europe confronts and integrates numerous new critiques and theoretical perspectives, many of which arrive from recent trends in anthropology and various disciplines in the humanities and social sciences. Among the topics addressed are cultural evolutionary theory, geoarchaeology, postcolonial critiques, practice theory, embodiment theory, gender archaeology, critical theory, discourse analysis, and indigenous archaeologies. The overarching goal is to assess the state of the art in anthropological approaches to the production of knowledge in archaeology. (MC)

Credits: 1.00
Corequisite: None
Prerequisites: None
Major/Minor Restrictions: None
Class Restriction: None
Area of Inquiry: Social Relations,Inst.& Agents
Liberal Arts CORE: None

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