Historical Archaeology: Why the Past Matters

by Little,Barbara J

• ISBN13: 9781598740226
• ISBN10: 1598740229
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2007-01-31
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

What is historical archaeology and why is it important?Barbara Little, long-time archaeologist with the National Park Service, addresses these key questions for introductory students in this concise, inexpensive, and well-written text. Little covers the goals of historical archaeological work, the kinds of questions asked, and the ethical and political concerns addressed. She shows what historical archaeology can provide that neither of its parent disciplines can offer alone. She offers brief snapshots of key American sites: Jamestown, St. Augustine, West Oakland, the African American Burial Ground, the Garbage Project, among others. And she shows how historical archaeology is inextricably linked to public education, justice issues, and our collective understanding of the past.As an introductory guide for historical archaeology courses, or as a supplement for other undergraduate classes, this volume is unmatched in quality and scope.

Table of Contents

List of Figures	p. 7
Preface	p. 9
Acknowledgments	p. 11
Do History and Historical Archaeology Matter?	p. 13
What Are Our Ambitions?
The Goals of Historical Archaeology	p. 20
Preserving and Interpreting Sites	p. 24
Rewriting Documentary History	p. 29
Reconstructing Ways of Life	p. 32
Improving Archaeological Methods	p. 35
Understanding Modernization and Globalization	p. 38
What Do We Care About?
A Questioning Attitude	p. 42
Defining Our Topics	p. 47
Colonialism, Capitalism, and Slavery	p. 53
What Is Our Evidence?	p. 59
Ideology, Ambiguity, and Muted Groups	p. 65
Ethical Considerations	p. 70
A Windshield Survey of Historical Archaeology
Introduction to a Windshield Survey of Historical Archaeology	p. 78
The Survival of the English Colony at Jamestown	p. 80
Mission San Luis de Talimali	p. 86
Enclosure of the English Countryside	p. 92
Capitalism, the Georgian Order, and a Woman	p. 97
Australia's Convict Past	p. 102
African American Life	p. 107
The Machine in the Garden	p. 116
The Inner-City Working Class	p. 122
Garbage and Garbage-in-Waiting	p. 129
Historical Archaeology as Public Scholarship
Introduction to Public Archaeology	p. 136
Public Memory and Public Places	p. 138
Education and Outreach	p. 144
What About the Painful Past?	p. 148
History and the Culture Wars	p. 154
Civic Renewal and Restorative Justice	p. 159
Transformative Learning	p. 164
Some Closing Thoughts	p. 171
Further Readings	p. 173
References Cited	p. 193
Index	p. 199
About the Author	p. 207
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