The Uses of Style in Archaeology

This book brings together essays that illustrate the different uses and interpretations of style in archaeology.

Margaret Wright Conkey (Edited by), Christine Ann Hastorf (Edited by)

9780521445764, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 25 June 1993

136 pages
20.8 x 27.4 x 1.3 cm, 0.32 kg

This book brings together essays that illustrate the different uses and interpretations of style in archaeology. Style is a widely discussed and controversial issue, which has always been central for archaeological interpretation. The collection considers the history of style in archaeology, its relationship to the concept of style in art history and how stylistic analyses will differ according to different initial assumptions. The essays show how stylistic interpretation works at different levels and they debate stylistic terminologies and concepts. Although these essays show that there is no unified theory of style, they underline the importance of continuing creative discussion through different themes and individual case studies.

List of contributors
Preface Christine Hastorf
1. Introduction Margaret W. Conkey and Christine A. Hastorf
2. Experimenting with style in archaeology: some historical and theoretical issues Margaret W. Conkey
3. Style and history in art history Whitney Davis
4. Style and ethnicity in archaeology: the case for isochrestism James R. Sackett
5. Style as historical quality Ian Hodder
6. Investigating style: an exploratory analysis of some Plains burials William K. Macdonald
7. Sociopolitical implications of stylistic variation in the American southwest Stephen Plog
8. Style and iconography as legitimation in complex chiefdoms Timothy Earle
9. Interaction, imitation and communication as expressed in style: the Ucayali experience Warren R. DeBoer
10. Is there a unity to style? Polly Wiessner
References cited
Index.

Subject Areas: Archaeology [HD]