Thinking from Things: Essays in the Philosophy of Archaeology - Paperback

by Alison Wylie (Author)

In this long-awaited compendium of new and newly revised essays, Alison Wylie explores how archaeologists know what they know. Examining the history and methodology of Anglo-American archaeology, Wylie puts the tumultuous debates of the last thirty years in historical and philosophical perspective.

Front Jacket

No other work in this field covers the history of important conceptual issues in archaeology in such a deep and knowledgable way, bringing both philosophical and archeological sophistication to bear on all of the issues treated. Wylie's work in Thinking from Things is original, scholarly, and creative. This book is for anyone who wants to understand contemporary archaeological theory, how it came to be as it is, its relationship with other disciplines, and its prospects for the future.--Merrilee Salmon, author of Philosophy and Archaeology

"Wylie is a reasonable and astute thinker who lucidly and persuasively makes genuinely constructive criticisms of archaeological thought and practice and very useful suggestions for how to proceed. She commands both philisophy and archaeology to an unusual degree. Having her articles together in Thinking from Things, with much new material extending and integrating them, is a major contribution that will be widely welcomed among archaeologists--both professionals and students, philosophers and historians of science, and social scientists."--George L. Cowgill, Arizona State University

Author Biography

Alison Wylie is Professor of Philosophy at Washington University. She is the coeditor of Critical Traditions in Contemporary Archaeology: Essays in the History, Philosophy, and Socio-Politics of Archaeology (1989; 1995), Ethics in American Archaeology (2000), and Equity Issues for Women in Archaeology (1994).