The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of the Contemporary World (Oxford Handbooks)

This Handbook is the first comprehensive survey of a rapidly expanding sub-field in archaeology, the study of the present and recent past. It seeks to explore the boundaries of this emerging area, to develop a tool-kit of concepts and methods, which are applicable to this new sub-field, and to suggest important future trajectories for research. Cover Contents List of Figures List of Tables List of Contributors 1. Introduction PART I: CROSS-DISCIPLINARY PERSPECTIVES 2. The Relationship between Ethnoarchaeology and Archaeologies of the Contemporary Past: A Historical Investigation 3. Forensic Archaeology 4. Anthropological Approaches to Contemporary Material Worlds 5. The Place of Things in Contemporary History 6. Canonical Affordances: The Psychology of Everyday Things 7. To the Things Themselves Again: Observations on What Things are and Why They Matter 8. STS, Symmetry, Archaeology 9. Actor-Network-Theory Approaches to the Archaeology of Contemporary Architecture 10. Global Media and Archaeologies of Network Technologies 11. Performance and the Stratigraphy of Place: Everything You Need to Build a Town is Here PART II: RECURRENT THEMES 12. Time 13. Absence 14. Ruins 15. Memory 16. Authenticity 17. Sectarianism 18. Afterlives 19. Waste 20. Heritage 21. Difference 22. Modernism 23. Protest 24. Homelessness 25. Conflict 26. Disaster 27. Scale PART III: MOBILITIES, SPACE, PLACE 28. Aluminology: An Archaeology of Mobile Modernity 29. The Archaeology of Space Exploration 30. Contemporary Archaeology in the Postcolony: Disciplinary Entrapments, Subaltern Epistemologies 31. Archaeologies of Automobility 32. Archaeology of Modern American Death: Grave Goods and Blithe Mementoes 33. ‘A Dirtier Reality?’ Archaeological Methods and the Urban Project 34. Heritage and Modernism in New York 35. Checkpoints as Gendered Spaces: An Autoarchaeology of War, Heritage, and the City 36. Race and Prosaic Materiality: the Archaeology of Contemporary Urban Space and the Invisible Colour Line Photo Essay: Institutional Spaces PART IV: MEDIA AND MUTABILITIES 37. Between the Lines: Drawing Archaeology 38. Two Riots: the Importance of Civil Unrest in Contemporary Archaeology 39. The Materiality of Film 40. The Burning Man Festival and the Archaeology of Ephemeral and Temporary Gatherings 41. Olympic City Screens: Media, Matter, and Making Place 42. Material Animals: An Archaeology of Contemporary Zoo Experiences Photo Essay: On Salvage Photography PART V: THINGS AND CONNECTIVITIES 43. Silicon Valley 44. Building Thought into Things 45. Archaeologies of the Postindustrial Body 46. The Material Cellphone 47. The Contemporary Material Culture of the Cult of the Infant: Constructing Children as Desiring Subjects 48. VHS: A Posthumanist Aesthetics of Recording and Distribution 49. Autoanthropology, Modernity, and Automobiles Photo Essay: The Other Acropolises: Multi-Temporality and the Persistence of the Past Index A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z It Has Been Clear For Many Years That The Ways In Which Archaeology Is Practised Have Been A Direct Product Of A Particular Set Of Social, Cultural, And Historical Circumstances - Archaeology Is Always Carried Out In The Present. More Recently, However, Many Have Begun To Consider How Archaeological Techniques Might Be Used To Reflect More Directly On The Contemporary World Itself. This Handbook Is The First Comprehensive Survey Of An Exciting And Rapidly Expanding Sub-field And Provides An Authoritative Overview Of The Newly Emerging Focus On The Archaeology Of The Present And Recent Past. In Addition To Detailed Archaeological Case Studies, It Includes Essays By Scholars Working On The Relationships Of Different Disciplines To The Archaeology Of The Contemporary World, Including Anthropology, Psychology, Philosophy, Historical Geography, Science And Technology Studies, Communications And Media, Ethnoarchaeology, Forensic Archaeology, Sociology, Film, Performance, And Contemporary Art. This Volume Seeks To Explore The Boundaries Of An Emerging Sub-discipline, To Develop A Tool-kit Of Concepts And Methods Which Are Applicable To This New Field, And To Suggest Important Future Trajectories For Research. It Makes A Significant Intervention By Drawing Together Scholars Working On A Broad Range Of Themes, Approaches, Methods, And Case Studies From Diverse Contexts In Different Parts Of The World, Which Have Not Previously Been Considered Collectively. Edited By Paul Graves-brown, Rodney Harrison, Angela Piccini. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. It has been clear for many years that the ways in which archaeology is practised have been a direct product of a particular set of social, cultural, and historical circumstances - archaeology is always carried out in the present. More recently, however, many have begun to consider how archaeological techniques might be used to reflect more directly on the contemporary world itself: how we might undertake archaeologies of, as well as in the present. This Handbook is the first comprehensive survey of an exciting and rapidly expanding sub-field and provides an authoritative overview of the newly emerging focus on the archaeology of the present and recent past. In addition to detailed archaeological case studies, it includes essays by scholars working on the relationships of different disciplines to the archaeology of the contemporary world, including anthropology, psychology, philosophy, historical geography, science and technology studies, communications and media, ethnoarchaeology, forensic archaeology, sociology, film, performance, and contemporary art. This volume seeks to explore the boundaries of an emerging sub-discipline, to develop a tool-kit of concepts and methods which are applicable to this new field, and to suggest important future trajectories for research. It makes a significant intervention by drawing together scholars working on a broad range of themes, approaches, methods, and case studies from diverse contexts in different parts of the world, which have not previously been considered collectively.-- Provided by Publisher It has been clear for many years that the ways in which archaeology is practiced have been a direct product of a particular set of social, cultural, and historical circumstances--archaeology is always carried out in the present. More recently, however, many have begun to consider how archaeological techniques might be used to reflect more directly on the contemporary world itself: how we might undertake archaeologies of , as well as in the present. This Handbook is the first comprehensive survey of an exciting and rapidly expanding sub-field and provides an authoritative overview of the newly emerging focus on the archaeology of the present and recent past. In addition to detailed archaeological case studies, it includes essays by scholars working on the relationships of different disciplines to the archaeology of the contemporary world, including anthropology, psychology, philosophy, historical geography, science and technology studies, communications and media, ethnoarchaeology, forensic archaeology, sociology, film, performance, and contemporary art. This volume seeks to explore the boundaries of an emerging sub-discipline, to develop a tool-kit of concepts and methods which are applicable to this new field, and to suggest important future trajectories for research. It makes a significant intervention by drawing together scholars working on a broad range of themes, approaches, methods, and case studies from diverse contexts in different parts of the world, which have not previously been considered collectively.