Evolutionary and Interpretive Archaeologies

Download or read book Evolutionary and Interpretive Archaeologies written by Ethan Cochrane and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-09-16 with total page 399 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This collection of original articles compares various key archaeological topics—agency, violence, social groups, diffusion—from evolutionary and interpretive perspectives. These two strands represent the major current theoretical poles in the discipline. By comparing and contrasting the insights they provide into major archaeological themes, this volume demonstrates the importance of theoretical frameworks in archaeological interpretations. Chapter authors discuss relevant Darwinian or interpretive theory with short archaeological and anthropological case studies to illustrate the substantive conclusions produced. The book will advance debate and contribute to a better understanding of the goals and research strategies that comprise these distinct research traditions.