Archaeological Theory

Fasat delivery, book is in better condition than described. Will buy from again. Excellent seller!!

If you want the most thorough (and more difficult) text on Archaeological Theory, Bruce Trigger's is the way to go. This version, a little more watered down but infinitely easier to read, is a great text for students and those not intimately versed in Archaeological Theory and Thought.

This textbook is THE ideal introduction to archaeological theory: a subject which at first can seem both terribly daunting to newcomers to the discipline of archaeology, and mind-numbingly tedious to fieldwork specialists. It's a delightfully readable, down-to-earth (and often highly amusing) journey through the changes in the thought behind archaeological interpretation since the New Archaeology of the early 1960s, and an absolute MUST for any Archaeology undergraduate student. The book also contains many references to highly useful and easily accessible case studies, a sensible glossary to cut through the academic jargon often encountered in these case studies, and plenty of entertaining illustrations to keep a reader's attention. There aren't many theoretical textbooks available that one could read for the sheer fun of it, but Johnson's 'Archaeological Theory' is a rare gem and is therefore entirely deserving of the highest recommendation.

Johnson's work is not comprehensive or even of especially great depth. It does provide an excellent brief overview of the history, controversies, and approaches of the various schools of archaeological theory. The quasi-dialogs with interjections from imaginary students adds to the interest of the book and keeps a potentially dry subject interesting, even entertaining at times. Archaeological Theory is the best, readable introduction to the complex and involuted field of archaeological theory that I've encountered in 20 years of teaching. As the initial text into an upper division course, enhanced by more in-depth studies later, it is hard to beat.

At last, a book on archaeological theory that normal people can understand. Jargon free, simple and modest, this is not the pretentious stuff we are used to read on this subject. Great review of major trends archaeological theory, in plain english!!! Great Book!