Review
"Historical archaeology was created through studies of early Americana by James Deetz and several others. Its primary emphasis on written records of 'historical' periods when Europeans encountered Native people bears a distinctly elitist 'Eurocentric hegemony of reference' that Reid, Lane, and their collaborators challenge in this exceptional collection of essays. Highly recommended."
(Social and Behavioral Sciences, 41: 10)
"This interesting and varied collection of essays on aspects of historical archaeology in Africa presents recent work all over the continent.
(Carmel Schrire; Journal of Anthropological Research, 60: 2004)
"Reid & Lane attempt not only to give Africa a place within historical archaeology but also to redefine the subdiscipline in a way that enables African examples to be better understood. They seek to achieve this through a realisation of the temporality of all archaeology and of the material continuity between the past and the present. Thus the volume reinterprets histoircal archaeology variously, wisely avoiding a generalising definition of the subject matter."
(Stephanie Wynne-Jones, Antiquity)
Product Description
Traditionally, Historical Archaeology has had a North American or European stance, focusing on the interplay between historical documents and the archaeological record. For Africa, with its non-traditional historical sources, this interplay is not as applicable. These sources also inform the period of contact with Europeans, during which the shape of the modern continent was inexorably defined. By focusing on such sources, it becomes possible to present historical understandings which access African experiences with outsiders and other African populations. This volume explores the range of interactions between the historical sources and archaeology that are available on the African continent. The contributions, written by a range of experts on different aspects of African archaeology, present the underlying issues such as:- The conflict and collaboration in the foundation of modern Africa;- African trading communities maintaining their independence from Europe;- The impacts of the Atlantic slave trade. This represents the first consideration of historical archaeology over the African continent as a whole and therefore provides an important review for African archaeologists and historians. This seminal volume also explores Africa's place in global systems of thought and economic development for historical archaeologists and historians alike.
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