Archaeology Final Assignment paper

Description of assignment

In order for me to assess what you have learned about archaeological methods and theories in this class, you will read and compare two monographs chosen from the list below. These monographs must be related in some way; for example, the two volumes must either share a context (e.g. 19th-century Australia, prehistoric Europe, pre-Contact Mesoamerica, Contact-period Eastern Woodlands, prehistoric American Southwest) or tackle a similar topic (e.g. religion, gender, capitalism, inequality, colonialism, race, state formation, warfare, labor relations). After I approve your choice of monographs (submit your choices to me by February 3rd), please write a review of them that incorporates the following:

1. Identify the theoretical schools that are influencing your authors’ works. Describe the main ideas of these theories using the theory readings we have discussed this semester.

2. Explain how these theoretical influences are visible in the authors’ choice of:
a. research questions
b. excavation methods
c. categories of data
d. analytical techniques
e. results.

In your discussion, please use specific examples from both works, and be sure to cover each facet of research listed here. If your author does not describe one of these components of research, please describe how its absence may also reflect the influence of theory.

3. Were either author’s arguments more convincing than the other? How does this relate to theory? Explain.