Description
Anthropology is a semiotic enterprise, declares Preucel (anthropology, U. of Pennsylvania), but then so is every other academic discipline that must attend to the linkages between theories, data, and social practices in the pursuit of meaning. Exploring the interpretive aspects of the profession, he looks at contributions by Ferdinand de Saussure and Charles Sanders Peirce, post-structuralism and post-processual archaeology, Brook Farm and the architecture of Utopia, and other topics. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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This book explores the multiple ways in which archaeologists give meaning to the past, highlighting debates over the ontological and epistemological status of the discipline and evaluating current responses to these issues. Explains why absolute foundations in archaeology are inadequate and looks at the alternatives. Highlights debates over the ontological and epistemological status of the discipline and evaluates current responses to these issues. Defines a new space for archaeological discourse and dialogue.
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