>Date: Mon, 28 Jul 2008 17:16:59 -0400
>To: Carol McDavid <[log in to unmask]>
>From: "Robert L. Schuyler" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Historical Archaeology
>
>Historical Archaeology is the archaeology of the Modern World and it
>covers the last 500 or 600 years of human history. During this
>period a globally based world cultural system emerged for the first
>time in human history, a system that did not exist before AD 1400,
>and a system that gradually ended up incorporating all the peoples,
>cultures and civilizations of the world into one interacting sphere.
>
>The definition of Historical Archaeology is based on its subject
>matter, not its methods or techniques, nor on the presence or
>absence of written records. It is a processual and cultural
>evolutionary definition. The Modern World as a concept is accepted
>by almost all historians and all diachronically oriented social
>scientists. We have a valid and vitally important subject matter
>which potentially makes our discipline important to all of
>scholarship. We should stop throwing it away by making vague
>statements about methods - I do not see anything unique about
>Historical Archaeology v.v. all of archaeology as a discipline - or
>the nexus to documents. There are many Archaeologies of History
>(Sumerology, Egyptology, Medieval Archaeology, Classical
>Archaeology, Maya Archaeology, etc. etc. etc.) and they have little
>to do with each other or with Historical Archaeology.
>
>Obviously the Modern World did not appear on AD January 1, 1400 at
>9:30 AM. It had precursors and origins (especially across Eurasia
>and North Africa) and the relationships between the Modern World and
>earlier periods and systems (e.g. European Medieval Archaeology) are
>important. That does not change the DIFFERENT nature of the Modern
>Period. As anthropologists or general historians we should certainly
>be interested in such pre-modern relationships and how they helped
>to set the stage for the Modern World but none of this dissolves the
>Modern Period or its great significance.
>
>If you would like I can give you the telephone number of the
>Egyptian Section at the Penn Museum and you can call them up and
>they will tell you that you are not Egyptologists - assuming they
>don't hang up on you immediately if they sense you are anthropologists.
>
>Of course, if you are talking about Mohammed Ali (19th century) and
>the attempt to build an Egyptian Empire using European models (army,
>slave plantations, etc.) or later the British in Egypt - that is
>Historical Archaeology.
>***************************
>On a totally different topic I wonder how many people realize how
>few documents exist for most past historic periods until the Modern
>Period and even over the last five centuries much has disappeared.
>Not counting documents recovered by archaeology, the archival record
>of most early civilizations and cultures is very poor, not because
>it did not exist but because it did not survive.
>
>Bob Schuyler
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>At 03:42 PM 7/28/2008, you wrote:
>>I'm sure to be flamed for this...but here goes...
>>
>>
>>
>>My operational definition of HA is very similar to the one that Jerry
>>outlines, and I would agree that "defining" HA only in terms of method (that
>>is, that it uses written materials as a dataset) is problematic. So, IMHO,
>>there is no need to revisit that oft-debated topic here, and as he says,
>>there's a huge literature on it.
>>
>>
>>
>>However, I think we should all remember that this particular orientation is
>>a somewhat Americanist one. Researchers from other areas of the world can,
>>and do, have different perspectives and definitions - many agree with the
>>Americanist definition of HA, but some do not.
>>
>>
>>
>>Anita is quite right to try and keep things focused, but I also think
>>Geoff's original posting was reasonable -- if one considers that scholars
>>worldwide sometimes "define" HA differently . It's perfectly fine for this
>>listserv to have an Americanist focus, as long as we all understand that
>>what Historical Archaeology "IS" isn't exactly the same for everyone who
>>subscribes.
>>
>>
>>
>>cherio,
>>
>>carol
>>
>>
>>
>>p.s. I just noticed that Geoff has reminded us of much the same thing in his
>>most recent message, and I do not think he needs to apologize, although it
>>was gracious of him to do so.
>>
>>
>>
>>******************************************
>>Carol McDavid, Ph.D.
>>Executive Director, Community Archaeology Research Institute, Inc.
>>Co-Director, Yates Community Archaeology Project
>>Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Houston
>>Adjunct Assistant Professor, Rice University
>>1638 Branard
>>Houston, TX 77006
>>www.publicarchaeology.org
>>
>>
>>
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Jerry Schaefer" <[log in to unmask]>
>>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>>Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 1:45 PM
>>Subject: Re: Saving Pompeii From the Ravages of Time and Tourists
>>
>>
>> > Historical Archaeology or what I presume to be synonymous with Historic
>> > Sites Archaeology deals with material remains related to the expansion of
>> > European hegemony around the world and it's aftermath. While Classical
>> > Archaeology shares some aspects with regard to method, theory, and
>> > research issues, it's definately a different discipline. There is a nice
>> > body of literature on the definition of the field. See writings and
>> > edited volumes by Robert Schuyler.
>> >
>> > Jerry Schaefer
>> >
>> > ASM Affiliates, Inc.
>> > 2034 Corte Del Nogal
>> > Carlsbad, CA 92011
>> > Phone: (760) 804-5757
>> > Fax: (760) 804-5755
>> >
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: HISTORICAL ARCHAEOLOGY [mailto:[log in to unmask]]On Behalf Of
>> > Campanian Society Inc.
>> > Sent: Saturday, July 26, 2008 6:13 PM
>> > To: [log in to unmask]
>> > Subject: Re: Saving Pompeii From the Ravages of Time and Tourists
>> >
>> >
>> > Can you explain the difference between "historical archaeology" and
>> > "historical archaeology topics?" What am I missing in this limit to
>> > posting?
>> >
>> > RMWilhelm
>> >
>> > Campanian Society Inc. & American Spoon Collectors
>> > Robert M. WIlhelm, Executive Director
>> > P.O. Box 243
>> > Rhinecliff, NY 12574
>> > Telephone: 845-876-0303
>> > Fax: 845-876-2037
>> > E-mail: [log in to unmask]
>> > Website: http://www.campanian.org
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> > On Jul 26, 2008, at 3:41 PM, Anita Cohen-Williams wrote:
>> >
>> >> Geoff,
>> >>
>> >> This is NOT historical archaeology. Please limit your posts on this
>> >> list to
>> >> historical archaeology topics.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> --
>> >> Anita Cohen-Williams
>> >> Listowner, Histarch
>
>Robert L. Schuyler
>University of Pennsylvania Museum
>3260 South Street
>Philadelphia, PA l9l04-6324
>
>Tel: (215) 898-6965
>Fax: (215) 898-0657
>[log in to unmask]
Robert L. Schuyler
University of Pennsylvania Museum
3260 South Street
Philadelphia, PA l9l04-6324
Tel: (215) 898-6965
Fax: (215) 898-0657
[log in to unmask]
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