Book Review of 'Evolutionary and Interpretive Archaeologies' Edited by Ethan E. Cochrane and Andrew Gardner

TL;DR

This book review discusses 'Evolutionary and Interpretive Archaeologies,' highlighting how the collection of chapters promotes understanding and collaboration between these two archaeological approaches, emphasizing their complementary benefits.

Contribution

The review summarizes the book's aim to foster mutual understanding and integration of evolutionary and interpretive archaeology, moving beyond dichotomous views.

Findings

Most chapters emphasize collaboration between approaches

The book promotes a richer understanding of archaeological methods

It highlights areas of mutual concern and benefit

Abstract

Evolutionary and Interpretive Archaeologies, edited by Ethan E. Cochrane and Andrew Gardner, grew out of a seminar at the Institute for Archaeology at University College London in 2007. It consists of 15 chapters by archaeologists who self-identify themselves as practitioners who emphasize the benefits of evolutionary or interpretive approaches to the study of the archaeological record. While the authors' theoretical views are dichotomous, the editors' aim for the book as a whole is not to expound on the differences between these two kinds of archaeology but to bring forward a richer understanding of the discipline and to highlight areas of mutual concern. Some chapters come across as a bit of a sales pitch, but the majority of the contributions emphasize how each approach can be productively used to address the goals of the other. The book seeks to contribute to a mutually beneficial and more productive discipline, and overall, it succeeds in this effort.