With apologies for cross-posting...


NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT

Fantastic Dreaming: The Archaeology of an Aboriginal Mission, by Jane
Lydon (AltaMira 2009).

From their earliest encounters, white settlers evaluated Australian
Aboriginal people on the basis of their material culture. This book shows
how colonial practices of controlling and transforming Indigenous people
centred upon material goods and practices, and especially their domestic
environment. In this view objects are equated with identity, an
essentializing approach that still persists within archaeological
analysis. Through the example of Ebenezer Mission in south-eastern
Australia, this study explores the complex role of material culture and
spatial politics in shaping colonial identities.

Paperback $49.95 (Australian)
ISBN: 9780759111059

Available from:

(Australia:) Readings Carlton
309 Lygon St, Carlton
Victoria 3053
Phone 93476633
http://www.readings.com.au/product/9780759111059/fantastic-dreaming-the-archeology-of-an-aboriginal-mission

(US and Europe:) http://www.altamirapress.com

"Lydon's Fantastic Dreaming represents an important contribution to our
understanding of the complexities of cross-cultural exchange in Australian
history. Focused on the mission site of Ebenezer in Victoria, Lydon
skillfully weaves a story of transformation and persistence that is
grounded in a deep engagement with the place, its people, and material
culture recovered through survey and excavation. Significantly, Lydon's
story acknowledges the importance of Ebenezer to those whose lives it has
touched in so many ways, and it provides an exemplar of how researchers
and indigenous people can together create compelling history."—Timothy
Murray, La Trobe University

"This book adds another layer to our increasing understanding of the
nuances and subtleties of culture contact and colonialism in all its
guises. Lydon provides an account of mission society that is rich in
detail and profound in sensitivity. Archaeologists would be wise to
emulate her … She sets a high standard for historical
archaeology."—Charles E. Orser, Jr., New York State Museum

This book will be launched on Saturday 12th December at the Australian
Archaeological Association Annual Conference at Flinders University, South
Australia.