▪ Abstract During the Mississippian period (ad 1000–1500) the southeastern United States
witnessed a broadscale fluorescence of polities characterized by impressive earthwork …

The social anthropology of death 21 Cross-cultural generalizations and the New
Archaeology's search for middle range theory 27 Funerary practices: agency, power and …

Egypt looms large in the Western imagination. Whether it is our attraction to pharaonic art,
the pyramids or practices of mummification, Egypts unique understanding of materiality …

In light of the growing social scientific interest in agency theory, this paper sets out to
examine and critically evaluate recent approaches to agency within archaeology. To this …

Theory in North American archaeology is characterized in terms of foci and approaches
manifested in research issues, rather than in explicit or oppositional theoretical positions …

Archaeologists' reconstructions of paths to complexity have all too often excluded complex
hunter-gatherers. However, recent theoretical contributions and long-term field research …

This chapter defines the tension at funerals as a microcosm of the structure/agency dialectic.
This dialectic is encompassed within a broader process of cultural constitution: the …

With this volume, we hope to invigorate the study of past communities. Archaeologists have
long pursued theoretically and methodologically innovative research on social institutions …

The Archaeology of Communities develops a critical evaluation of community and shows
that it represents more than a mere aggregation of households. This collection bridges the …

Theoretische Grundlagen werden in den archäologischen Fächern in Deutschland kaum je
angesprochen. Diesem Mißstand will die vorliegende Einführung abhelfen. Sie erörtert …