Ethnographic Archaeologies

Ethnographic archaeology has emerged as a form of inquiry into archaeological dilemmas that arise as scholars question older, more positivistic paradigms. Ethnographic Archaeologies 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.

This important collection expands the boundaries of archaeology and charts out an emerging and dynamic field. The eminent contributors, in their consistently powerful and thought-provoking papers, situate archaeological practice in the ethnographic present, forcing us to reflect on our responsibilities towards the various communities associated with the archaeological past and with archaeology as a discipline. In these pages, archaeology is re-connected with ethnography in a critical, reflexive, and ethically sensitive manner.

Quetzil E. Castañeda is founder and director of the Open School of Ethnography and Anthropology. Christopher N. Matthews is associate professor of anthropology at Hofstra University.