Ethnographic Archaeologies

Ethnographic archaeology has emerged as a form of inquiry into archaeological dilemmas that arise as scholars question older more positivistic paradigms. <I>Ethnographic Archaeologies</I> describes diverse methods objectives and rationalities currently employed in the making of engaged and collaborative archaeological research.The contributors to this volume for example understand ethnographic archaeology variously as a means of critical engagement with heritage stakeholders as the basis of public-policy debates as a critical archaeological study of ethnic groups as the study of what archaeology actually does (as opposed to what researchers often think they are doing) in excavations and surveys and as a foundation for transnational collaborations among archaeologists. What keeps the term ethnographic archaeology coherent and relevant is the consensus among practitioners that they are embarking on a new archaeological path by attempting to engage the present directly and fundamentally.