Mês: maio 2017

TRIGGER, B. G. A History of Archaeological Thought. 2. ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2006, 710 p. – ISBN 9780521600491.

This work traces the history and context of archaeological research and practice around the world, and examines underlying ideas and values. The primary goal of this book is to survey the intellectual history of archaeology in an attempt to evaluate the claims of three alternative epistemologies that are currently being applied to archaeology. Positivist epistemologists maintain that society and culture exert no significant influence on the development of archaeology, which is shaped by explanations based on explicit theories being tested in the light of adequate evidence and according to proper scientific methods. Extreme relativists argue that the interpretation of archaeological data is so influenced by the intellectual persuasions, class interests, ethnic loyalties, gender prejudices, and personal self-interest of archaeologists that objectivity is impossible. There is no such thing as objective knowledge, and, therefore, no one truth but many possibly antithetical truths. Moderate relativists concede that archaeological interpretations are influenced by society, culture, and self-interest but maintain that archaeological evidence constrains speculation. Bruce Graham Trigger (1937– 2006) was a Canadian archaeologist.

TRIGGER, B. G. História do pensamento arqueológico. 2. ed. São Paulo: Odysseus, 2011, 630 p. -ISBN 9788578760175.

Esse livro examina as relações entre a arqueologia e seu meio social em uma perspectiva histórica. Um tal enfoque possibilita uma visão comparativa a partir da qual problemas relativos a subjetividade, objetividade e acumulação gradual de conhecimento podem ser apreciados.

A arqueologia é uma ciência social no sentido de que ela procura explicar o que aconteceu a um grupo específico de seres humanos no passado e fazer generalizações a respeito do processo de mudança cultural. Porém, ao contrário dos etnólogos, dos geógrafos, dos sociólogos, dos cientistas políticos e dos economistas, os arqueólogos não podem observar o comportamento da população que eles estudam; ao contrário dos historiadores, também não têm, na maioria dos casos, acesso direto ao pensamento dessa gente registrado em textos escritos. A arqueologia infere comportamento humano, e também ideias, a partir de materiais remanescentes do que pessoas fizeram e usaram, e do impacto físico de sua presença no meio ambiente. A interpretação de dados arqueológicos depende da compreensão de como seres humanos se comportam no presente e, em particular, de como esse comportamento se reflete na cultura material. Os arqueólogos também têm de recorrer a princípios uniformitaristas para que possam valer-se do entendimento de processos biológicos e geológicos contemporâneos na inferência de como tais processos ajudaram a configurar o registro arqueológico. No entanto, eles estão longe de chegar a um acordo a respeito de como esses saberes podem ser legítima e compreensivamente aplicados aos seus dados a fim de tornar inteligível o comportamento humano passado.

É talvez decepcionantemente fácil mostrar que, no mundo inteiro, a interpretação da evidência arqueológica é influenciada por condições políticas, sociais e econômicas, assim como pela tendência de indivíduos e grupos a afirmar seus interesses apresentando objetivos egoístas como se fossem altruístas. Além do mais, interpretações arqueológicas são diretamente influenciadas por preconceitos de gênero, por interesses étnicos, pelo controle político da pesquisa e da publicação, pelo financiamento das atividades arqueológicas, por conflitos de geração entre os pesquisadores e por influências idiossincráticas de arqueólogos carismáticos. São também influenciadas pela sociedade indiretamente, através de modelos analíticos oferecidos pelas ciências físicas e biológicas e, em maior medida, pelas ciências sociais, assim como pela continuidade da aceitação de explicações arqueológicas estabelecidas cujo caráter obsoleto não se tornou evidente.

No entanto, apenas muito raramente são encontradas correspondências simples entre as interpretações arqueológicas e as condições sociais. Essas interpretações não constituem, na maioria, reflexo direto de tais condições, antes vêm a ser versões do passado criadas por arqueólogos que tentam, em circunstâncias históricas particulares, promover, ou defender, interesses e preferências sociais. Esses interesses variam e podem ser apoiados de diferentes maneiras.

Bruce Graham Trigger (1937– 2006) foi um arqueólogo canadense.

RENFREW, C. ; BAHN, P. Archaeology: Theories, Methods, and Practice. 7. ed. London: Thames & Hudson, 2016, 672 p. – ISBN 9780500292105.

This new edition is the most comprehensive introduction to archaeological method and theory available. It is used by instructors and students for introductory courses on methods and theory, but also for classes on archaeological field methods, archaeological science, and a number of other courses. The book presents an up-to-date and accurate overview of the world of archaeology in the 21st century. Colin Renfrew is Disney Professor Emeritus of Archaeology and former Director of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research at the University of Cambridge, UK. Paul Bahn is a freelance writer, translator, and broadcaster in archaeology.

Uma abrangente introdução à teoria e ao método arqueológico. O livro apresenta uma visão atualizada e precisa do mundo da arqueologia no século XXI. É considerado um clássico na área.

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JOHNSON, M. Archaeological Theory: An Introduction. 2. ed. Chichester, West Sussex, UK: Wiley Blackwell, 2010, 328 p. – ISBN 9781405100151.

This book is an introductory essay on archaeological theory [the application of philosophy of science to archaeology]. It tries to explain something of what ‘theory’ is, its relationship to archaeological practice, how it has developed within archaeology over the last few decades, and how archaeological thought relates to theory in the human sciences and the intellectual world generally. Exploring the many ways of approaching the human past, from positivism to post-modernism, Johnson reveals the historical origins of different schools of thought and sets theories against the practical problems they are intended to solve, as well as against wider developments in other disciplines. Matthew H. Johnson is Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Northwestern University, USA.

Este livro traz um panorama das principais correntes teóricas da arqueologia. Explica o que é “teoria”, sua relação com a prática arqueológica e como ela se desenvolveu dentro da arqueologia nas últimas décadas.

Leia Mais:
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HODDER, I. (ed.) Archaeological Theory Today. 2 ed. Cambridge: Polity, 2012, 320 p. – ISBN 9780745653068. 

This volume provides an authoritative account of the current status of archaeological theory, as presented by some of its major exponents and innovators over recent decades. It summarizes the latest developments in the field and looks to its future, exploring some of the cutting–edge ideas at the forefront of the discipline. The volume captures the diversity of contemporary archaeological theory. Some authors argue for an approach close to the natural sciences, others for an engagement with cultural debate about representation of the past. Some minimize the relevance of culture to societal change, while others see it as central; some focus on the contingent and the local, others on long–term evolution. While few practitioners in theoretical archaeology would today argue for a unified disciplinary approach, the authors in this volume increasingly see links and convergences between their perspectives. The volume also reflects archaeology′s new openness to external influences, as well as the desire to contribute to wider debates. The contributors examine ways in which archaeological evidence contributes to theories of evolutionary psychology, as well as to the social sciences in general, where theories of social relationships, agency, landscape and identity are informed by the long–term perspective of archaeology. Ian Hodder  (born 1948) is a British archaeologist.  Dunlevie Family Professor of Anthropology at Stanford University, USA.

Este volume fornece um relato competente do estado atual da teoria arqueológica, como apresentado por alguns de seus principais expoentes e inovadores nas últimas décadas.

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FAGAN, B. M. ; DURRANI, N. Archaeology: A Brief Introduction. 12. ed. Abingdon: Routledge, 2016, 424 p. – ISBN  9781138190313.

Archaeology is a jargon-free and accessible introduction to the field which details how archaeologists study the human past in all its fascinating diversity. Now in its twelfth edition, this classic textbook has been updated to reflect the latest research and new findings in the field. Reflecting the global scope of the discipline, the book has a truly international coverage of important discoveries and sites from many corners of the globe. Individual chapters examine archaeology and its history, considering the role of the archaeologist and how they discover, investigate and classify sites and artifacts. This journey through archaeology also includes a discussion of important individuals and groups, and some of the ways in which archaeologists attempt to explain major social and cultural changes in the remote past. Archaeology ends with an outline of the complex world of cultural resource management and gives invaluable advice on how to become an archaeologist. Richly illustrated throughout, this popular and engaging textbook on archaeological methods has introduced generations of students to the captivating world of archaeology.

Este é um clássico, já na 12ª edição.  Veja também o post anterior.

Leia Mais:
Histórias do Antigo Oriente Médio: uma bibliografia

FAGAN, B. M. ; DURRANI, N. A Brief History of Archaeology: Classical Times to the Twenty-First Century. 2. ed. Abingdon: Routledge, 2016, 302 p. – ISBN 9781138657076.

This short account of the discipline of archaeology tells of spectacular discoveries and the colorful lives of the archaeologists who made them, as well as of changing theories and current debates in the field. Spanning over two thousand years of history, the book details early digs as well as covering the development of archaeology as a multidisciplinary science, the modernization of meticulous excavation methods during the twentieth century, and the important discoveries that led to new ideas about the evolution of human societies. Brian Murray Fagan (born 1936) is a British prolific author of popular archaeology books and a professor emeritus of Anthropology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, California, USA. Nadia Durrani is a Cambridge University-trained archaeologist and writer, with a PhD from University College, London, in Arabian archaeology. She is former editor of Britain’s best-selling archaeology magazine, Current World Archaeology and has authored and edited many articles and books on archaeology from every corner of the globe.

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CLINE, E. H. Three Stones Make a Wall: The Story of Archaeology.  Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2017, 480 p. – ISBN 9780691166407.

Written by Eric Cline, an archaeologist with more than thirty seasons of excavation experience, Three Stones Make a Wall traces the history of archaeology from an amateur pursuit to the cutting-edge science it is today by taking the reader on a tour of major archaeological sites and discoveries, from Pompeii to Petra, Troy to the Terracotta Warriors, and Mycenae to Megiddo and Masada. Cline brings to life the personalities behind these digs, including Heinrich Schliemann, the former businessman who excavated Troy, and Mary Leakey, whose discoveries advanced our understanding of human origins. The discovery of the peoples and civilizations of the past is presented in vivid detail, from the Hittites and Minoans to the Inca, Aztec, and Moche. Along the way, the book addresses the questions archaeologists are asked most often: How do you know where to dig? How are excavations actually done? How do you know how old something is? Who gets to keep what is found? Eric H. Cline (born 1960) is Professor of Classics and Anthropology and Director of the Capitol Archaeological Institute at George Washington University, USA.  Cf. Escavando Meguido.

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BAHN, P. Archaeology: A Very Short Introduction. 2. ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2012, 136 p. – ISBN  9780199657438.

This entertaining Very Short Introduction reflects the enduring popularity of archaeology – a subject which appeals as a pastime, career, and academic discipline, encompasses the whole globe, and surveys 2.5 million years. From deserts to jungles, from deep caves to mountain tops, from pebble tools to satellite photographs, from excavation to abstract theory, archaeology interacts with nearly every other discipline in its attempts to reconstruct the past. In this new edition, Paul Bahn brings the text up to date, including information about new discoveries and interpretations in the field, and highlighting the impact of developments such as the potential use of DNA and stable isotopes in teeth, as well the effect technology and science are having on archaeological exploration. Paul Bahn is a freelance writer, translator, and broadcaster in archaeology.

Este livro é uma boa introdução para quem quer saber um pouco mais sobre o assunto, mesmo que não tenha interesse em estudar arqueologia.

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GAMBLE, C. Archaeology: The Basics. 3. ed. Abingdon: Routledge, 2015, 306 p. – ISBN 9780415694834.

This book answers key questions about how and why we practice archaeology and examines the theories and themes underpinning the subject. Fully updated, this new edition includes a wide range of examples and new material on key growth areas including evolutionary approaches in current archaeology, the archaeology of landscape and place, the impact and value of archaeology, conflict archaeology and the politics of the past. This text is essential reading for all those beginning to study archaeology and anyone who has ever questioned the past. Clive Gamble (born 1951) is a Professor of Archaeology at University of Southampton, UK.

Este livro responde a perguntas-chave sobre como e por que praticamos a arqueologia e examina as teorias e os temas subjacentes ao assunto. Indicado para iniciantes.

 
Sumário

What is archaeology?

How many archaeologies are there?

Basic concepts

People

Objects

Time and space

Change and stasis

Identity and power

Leia Mais:
Histórias do Antigo Oriente Médio: uma bibliografia
Sugestões de livros para iniciar os estudos em Arqueologia