Archaeological Theory in a Nutshell

While I understand the concern of the previous reviewer regarding the informal tone of this book, I appreciate the clear writing and informal tone and find this book to be an especially valuable resource for undergraduate and graduate students. As a previous CRM archaeologist and current professor of anthropology (supervising both graduate and undergraduate archaeology students), I find that most students are intimidated and overwhelmed by the "classic" articles and overviews of archaeological theory that are often assigned in classes. They do not have the years of experience reading theoretical literature that those of us who assign these readings have, and consequently they often miss or misinterpret many of the references made in these texts. Praetzellis' book serves as an essential primer for these students. It introduces key concepts in a very accessible way, and provides them with the necessary context and confidence to tackle the original sources and to discuss these theories in class.Furthermore, while this book does not and was not intended to serve as a model for the academic style of writing archaeological theory, it's important to remember that the vast majority of professional archaeologists in the U.S. work in CRM, not academia, and are expected to be able to communicate their research agendas and results to a wide audience that includes corporate clients, government agencies, and the general public. Very few students will go on to academic positions where they will be rewarded for writing scholarly articles on archaeological theory; most will work for CRM firms or government agencies where they will have to understand and apply these concepts and communicate their results to a general audience. I think that both sets of students--future academics and future professionals--will benefit from the clear overviews and insightful discussion questions provided in this text.Just to be clear, I'm not attacking archaeological theory or the preference of academics for dense, scholarly writing. I like reading archaeological theory (I'm one of *those people*) and I also enjoy publishing scholarly articles that engage with these theories. However, I also feel very strongly that discussions about archaeology and *especially* about archaeological theory benefit when we welcome more people to the table. Praetzellis' book captures the essences of different schools of archaeological theory, communicates them to a broad audience, and encourages readers to engage with the material by asking thought-provoking questions and providing references for 'further reading'. It welcomes people with varying levels of experience and interest to the table, and as a result, it produces better class discussions.

I bought this for my class on archaeological theory. I do not enjoy theory. So far, I have enjoyed this book. It is concise and has a bit of unexpected humor that I find quite enjoyable. If I had to read a book on theory, I am glad it's this one.

Praetzellis manages to make the exploration of archaeological theory entertaining. His exposition informs while his humor makes the journey jouissance.

Very enjoyable book providing wonderful syntheses of some very complex ideas

This was supposed to be new and theres some hard white stuff coating the pages.

Academia topics such as Queer Theory, Marxism, Feminism and the such. Curious what this has to do with archaeology? Then, read on my friend. There were chapters that dealt with processualism, post-processualism, and structuralism as well.I was hoping for more substance. Yes, even for a 'nutshell.'

Even though the complex concepts of archaeological theory are delivered in a very accessible manner, I wouldn't assign this to my students because it is not a good example of how to write archaeological theory. The writing style is very casual and not at all appropriate for an academic topic. When I see words like "sez" or other texting type language, it is a huge red flag because it teaches students that lazy writing is acceptable in professional circles. Many students already have problems communicating their ideas clearly in writing, so presenting a complex topic in a way that perpetuates poor writing skills seems like a very bad idea. What's next? A graphic novel version of archaeological theory? Seriously. Let's find a way to make theory fun without dumbing it down.

Brilliant Book!

Totally Unbiased Po-mo Theory AwareThis book provides an overview of early archaeological theory ... but it is the discussion of more contemporary theoretical concepts and schools of thought that Professor Adrian Praetzellis illuminates in this valuable contribution to the discipline. This book picks up where a lot of other books on archaeological theory seem to fade away and is really very handy.The book is written with very accessible language — something ideally suitable to such dense and concept-heavy topics. His style is elegant while still engaging the reader with humour (see examples below). Also unique are the caricature-esque illustrations by the author, included in this book.This book is perfect for you if you are:– an archaeologist, or interested in archaeology– interested in archaeological theory (at any level — students, lectures, tutors, retirees — everyone!)– not even interested in archaeological theory because, once you have started reading it you probably will realise that you are in fact interested!This is a great companion to more mainstream arch theory books but by far the most enjoyable.Five out of five,10/10 would recommendExamples:"Some scholars see insights into the small scale—the home, children, individual lives—as trivial in the Long Run and irrelevant in understanding the Big Picture (p. 139)."From 'The Archaeologist's Guide to Sandwich Making'"Lewis Binford: "As I told Griffin in 1948, a sandwich that contains no pickle is not a sandwich at all and has no buisness calling itself one."...Randall McGuire: "The question is who makes the sandwich? And for whose benefit? The functionalist contention that the sole purpose of sandwich production is to provide food ignores its role in social reproduction." (p. 181)"

Great book, very helpful. A simplistic way to help you understand the main points of each topic.

Great introduction to archaeological theory, easy to read and understand.