Overview

How do archaeologists think? How do archaeologists take the scattered and fragmentary remains collected from past settlements and create meaningful, reasonable interpretations of past human history? In the second edition of Archaeological Thinking, Charles E. Orser, Jr. provides answers to these questions and more by explaining in non-technical language the most basic elements of critical thinking in archaeology. This book explores and explains such topics as: the use of logic in framing arguments the curious issue of fact selection the use of analogies the role of archaeology in contemporary society and among present-day communities approaches to understanding the past and the dangers of deceitful archaeological thinking. Examples taken from the world of ancient aliens, mythical sunken cities, and mysterious creatures help readers learn how to separate reality from fiction regardless of their desire to become a professional archaeologist.

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9781538177235

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Reviews

This engaging book is a valuable corrective to common ideas that archaeology is about digging up facts. Instead, Orser claims that the most important archaeological tool is the mind. He provides a clear and concise guide to how archaeologists use critical thinking skills to interpret the artifacts they find and create knowledge about the human past. Useful for all those curious about 'pseudo' interpretations of the past as well as parsing all kinds of scientific and historical interpretations from false or misleading claims.--LouAnn Wurst, Michigan Technological University

"Charles Orser's Archaeological Thinking is the accessible antidote to false information related to the past. Orser shows how archaeologists do their work, from excavation to analysis and to forming conclusions, guiding the reader through the entire process in an engaging style that helps the discipline come alive. Archaeological Thinking is not just a must-have for courses related to introductory archaeology but for anyone looking to learn more about how we figure out what our ancestors were doing. --Jacob J. Sauer, PhD, senior lecturer, department of Anthropology, Vanderbilt University The second edition of Orser's Archaeological Thinking has been significantly updated and enhanced from the 2015 edition (CH, May'15, 52-4848). It retains the first edition's focus on using archaeological examples to promote critical thinking. Orser wisely continues to use examples from pseudo-historical or pseudoscientific theories and ideas that have become part of popular culture. In this second edition, he includes examples from the Ancient Aliens TV series, which prodigiously uses archaeological sites and discoveries to bolster its dubious contentions. The Netflix documentary Ancient Apocalypse (2022) gets a timely mention as one of the book's examples of dubious scholarship, although a detailed critique would have provided a fine demonstration of critical thinking. Another useful addition is the up-to-date and concise account of the Kennewick Man controversy which pitted Native American religious beliefs against anthropologists. The second edition contains 10 chapters, of which four are new. Two chapters from the first edition have been dropped. Orser also provides an excellent discussion of the various schools of archaeological thought in the new chapter 7. Any library looking to build up its resources on critical thinking and archaeology will want to add this new edition to its collections. Recommended. Undergraduates and graduate students -- ""Choice Reviews"" This engaging book is a valuable corrective to common ideas that archaeology is about digging up facts. Instead, Orser claims that the most important archaeological tool is the mind. He provides a clear and concise guide to how archaeologists use critical thinking skills to interpret the artifacts they find and create knowledge about the human past. Useful for all those curious about 'pseudo' interpretations of the past as well as parsing all kinds of scientific and historical interpretations from false or misleading claims. --LouAnn Wurst, Michigan Technological University"

Author Information

Charles E. Orser, Jr. taught a course on critical thinking skills in archaeology to hundreds of undergraduate students over many years. Over 30 years of archaeological excavation experience in the American Midwest and Southeast, Ireland, England, and Brazil has instilled in him the difficulties of archaeological interpretation and the need for critical thinking. A long-term interest in the outrageous claims of pseudo-archaeologists further impressed upon him the need for more instruction in logic and clear thinking. He is the author of one hundred professional articles and several books, including Historical Archaeology (now in its 3rd edition), A Historical Archaeology of the Modern World, The Archaeology of Race and Racialization in Historic America, Race and Practice in Archaeological Interpretation, Unearthing Hidden Ireland: Historical Archaeology at Ballykilcline, County Roscommon, A Primer on Modern-World Archaeology, Archaeological Thinking, and An Archaeology of the English Atlantic World, 1600-1700. He is the founder and editor of the International Journal of Historical Archaeology. In 2019, he received the Society for Historical Archaeology’s highest award, the J. C. Harrington Medal, for lifetime achievement in the discipline.

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