History of Archaeological Thought

History of Archaeological Thought

When first published, Bruce Trigger's book was the first to cover the history of archaeological thought from the Middle Ages to the present day from a global perspective. Now, in this new edition, Trigger both updates the information from the first edition and presents new archaeological perspectives and interests that have emerged. Both stimulating and objective, the book situates the development of archaeological thought and theory within a broader social and intellectual context. The author identifies the sequential and interacting trends evident in archaeological thought and attempts to determine the extent to which these trends, at least in the West, reflect the personal and collective interests of archaeologists as they relate to the changing fortunes of the middle classes. While subjective influences are strong, Professor Trigger argues that the gradual accumulation of archaeological data imposes an increasing constraint on interpretation. This use of data enhances the objectivity of archaeological research and its value for understanding the entire scope of human history and the human condition in general.

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