060027 VO Introduction to Archaeological Theory and Method (2016S)

This course introduces the key concepts in archaeological theory and method, structured in terms of the history of the discipline of archaeology. Key themes include: (i) the general concepts of theory and method (ii) the metaphysics of deep time and the use of uniformitarianism to establish chronological frameworks; (iii) the concept of evolution in relation to the identity of the human subject; (iv) the concept of the artifact and the nature of artefact typologies; (v) the concept of culture in archaeology and related disciplines; (vi) processualism and post-processualism; (vii) nationalism and standpoint theory in archaeology.

Successfull students should be able to explain the theoretical background to methodological aspects of the discipline and understand the central importance of theoretical thinking in all archaeological interpretations.