Customer Reviews

Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is certainly one of the better general summary books on archaeological method and theory out there. To the student, the book comes with serious credentials: Colin Renfrew is the Disney Professor of Archaeology at Cambridge while his co-author is a professional writer on archaeological topics. Like many other introductory texts, there is, however, a serious agenda behind this book. Therefore, while I think the authors do a fairly good job of introducing the different aspects of archaeology to the novice, (contrary to the blurb, there is no real way in which this book could function as a serious reference for a professional archaeologist), I have a couple of comments I want to make about the book from a theoretical point of view.

While Renfrew and Bahn position themselves as heirs to all the different schools of archaeology, they do in fact, pick and choose the archaeologists (and the theoretical paradigms they support) quite specifically. Certain works and authors are praised effusively and others are presented with cautionary tags attached to them. This is of course Renfrew and Bahn's perogative. However, the overall effect of the book is the promotion of a fairly traditional positivist view of archaeology (not the radical extreme of Binford exactly, but certainly archaeology as science nonetheless except where Renfrew's own "mentalist" leanings towards specific issues such as the peopling of Europe still come into play). If you are looking for a book that seriously tries to introduce some of the real theoretical advances in archaeology over the last twenty years, this is not the book to read. Renfrew and Bahn are not really presenting a synthesis of old and new approaches to archaeology, but the old dressed up in a new party dress (one that doesn't fit too well at that).

This may seem a little nit-picky to non-archaeologists but the point I want to make is this: Archaeologists use scientific techniques and approaches but we are different kinds of scientists than say physicists or mathematicians. We deal with people (much more complex than subatomic particles) and the cultural and political contexts of the past. Many of the advocates of archaeology as science hold the view that only science and scientists are the proper and legitimate custodians of the past.

Anyone who doubts where Renfrew and Bahn's sympathies really lie should check out the section on archaeology and indigenous people. One should bear in mind that the Disney Professor did not come of age when such concerns were really prominent in people's minds. However, the apparent open-endedness of the authors' commentary, at least to my way of thinking, overlies a much more conservative stance in which indigenous people are a problem to be overcome rather than partners to be accomodated.

So here's my view: buy the book if you want a how-to manual. But please please be aware of its limitations. Renfrew and Bahn do a pretty good job presenting their point of view but it's a point of view not a law of physics.

Archaeology: Theories, Methods and Practice provides a great introduction to the various aspects of archaeology. It would be a marvellous addition to the library of any archaeology enthusiast. It provides the theory and description of archaeological methods as well as many real world examples. As a result, despite a potentially very dry subject matter, this book is not a hard read.

It is especially appropriate for any amateur who tries to keep up on archaeology and encounters new words/ideas. Since the coverage is encyclopedic, you will undoubtably find the explanations you want in this book!

This is probably one of the best books I've ever read on the subject, and although I've studied archaeology as an interest since childhood, this text rekindled an old love. It is well written and easily read and gives a good overview of the discipline with interesting archaeological sites from all over the world used to illustrate the techniques discussed. I enjoyed the volume so thoroughly I've actually read it twice and will probably read it again in the future just for the enjoyment alone.

Speaking as an archaeology student who just finished a class using this textbook, I can do naught else but overflow with praise for this book. Eminently readable, it proved to be well-adapted to taking notes, and was interesting enough that it was sometimes hard to put down.

Renfrew and Bahn provide an excellent survey of world archaeology, and they do not fall into the trap of using jargon and big words. This contrasts sharply with the anthropology textbooks I've suffered through, many of which seem to have been written while the authors were constipated.

Overall, a superior book. Also notable for being relatively low-priced, which is a bonus for us students. Perhaps this is proof that someone in academia does care! It compares well to some of the $80, razor-thin anthropology textbooks I've wasted my money on. I highly recommend this book to anyone at all interested in archaeology.

This is a great book. I read this book for my methods and theories class and it was very complete and easy to understand. Especially helpful are the explicit "real life" examples of the text comcepts. I would recommend this book to trained archaeologists, 'armchair' archaeologists and students.

Widely respected among professional archaeologists as an excellent introductory text. It also reads well for the layman. I would reccomend this volume, both to students of archaeology, as well as to anyone with a more casual interest in the subject. By understanding the theories and practices which define the modern discipline of archaeology, the casual reader will be well equiped to distinguish valid theories from the pleathora of pseudo-science archaeology which tends to clog the shelves of this section in your average bookstore

We were assigned to tests for my Principle of Archaeology class this semester. This one and the one from Sharer-Ashmore. I bought both of them. The material in both is specific, it covers all the major topics of the discipline and they are great.

What sets this one apart, is the format. It is easier for beginners to digest the information and is not filled with dense data that will end up confusing most who read. I would recommend it for both classes and for others who wish to know more about the discipline

Renfrew and Bahn have set up great book, almost a catalogue, about archaeological practice. Fairly every subject they mention is laid out with great precision, and the accompanying schemes and pictures couldn't have been chosen better. If you like to dive into the subject of archaeology, whether it concerns its history, their dating methods, excavation practices, the goals archaeology pursues or whatever else, you can't go wrong here.

It is well written, and lavishly illustrated. It is the kind of book that makes you want to get up and start an excavation. If you are interested in the past, and how to figure out the mysteries of the past, then this book is a gold mine. I loved the way that it took complex subjects and made them so easy to understand. Why it was enjoyable. What a wonderful and special book. I really recommend this book.

Used as a textbook for a class in Liverpool, this book was the perfect companion. Invaluable to those just starting in the subject and those who have been studying archaeology for years. Good use of illustrations and modern examples. One of the most up-to-date books on the subject.