tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971081717687612908.post3570316130524483620..comments2024-03-18T05:08:29.201-07:00Comments on Publishing Archaeology: Binford vs. Childe: Who was the most influential archaeologist?Michael E. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03942595266312225661noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971081717687612908.post-13433593647157635392011-06-26T19:01:15.992-07:002011-06-26T19:01:15.992-07:00@Marcus - I'm not familiar with that book. I w...@Marcus - I'm not familiar with that book. I will definitely take a look when I'm back from Mexico. Childe is full of surprises, even for those of us who don't work in the Old World.Michael E. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03942595266312225661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971081717687612908.post-501657796851256292011-06-26T02:39:45.815-07:002011-06-26T02:39:45.815-07:00Also agree on Childe, but I'm biased towards p...Also agree on Childe, but I'm biased towards post-Neolithic/Urban Revolution as well. <br /><br />What do you think about Childe's materialism as developed in his book Society and knowledge (1956)? I think this strand of work, also in other publications, of his is hugely underrated. The only archaeologist I know that really used it was Bruce Trigger. Childe makes important points here, which, if dealt with critically, are relevant today.Marcusnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971081717687612908.post-49674969184593725652011-06-21T06:40:09.392-07:002011-06-21T06:40:09.392-07:00I just wanted to comment that we love your blog an...I just wanted to comment that we love your blog and the lively discussions had here. It is refreshing to find such a valued source of current data on our industry.<br /><br />I would agree that things certainly have changed in the field of archaeology and some of what is being done today may in fact be a fad but the natural progression and expansion of the field seems logically sound.Sunset Surveyhttp://archaeologicalsurveys.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971081717687612908.post-45500573748479303872011-06-16T10:43:21.680-07:002011-06-16T10:43:21.680-07:00Yes, fad vs. solid influence is tough to judge unt...Yes, fad vs. solid influence is tough to judge until after the fact. Will archaeologists think that these current fads are important 20 years from now? <br /><br />Feasting. Heterarchy. Identity. Landscape. <br /><br />My guess is no.<br /><br />If archaeology continues along an interpretivist track, then Ian Hodder will certainly be near the top of the list. And maybe Binford too, for doing so much to rile up the postprocessualists and egg them on to greater heights of relativism and fantasy. If archaeology swings back toward a scientific approach (my strong preference), then Hodder's influence will be much lower.Michael E. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03942595266312225661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971081717687612908.post-42181673693134350332011-06-15T23:46:00.841-07:002011-06-15T23:46:00.841-07:00What about actively publishing archaeologists? Wh...What about actively publishing archaeologists? Who would be most influential now if one takes a global perspective. Or are we passed that period of archaeology where one individual can make that kind of contribution? Is archaeology becoming like the movies, where every film is now either a bio piece or a remake of a movie or TV show from the 80s.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971081717687612908.post-46301211394177262002011-06-15T20:52:09.436-07:002011-06-15T20:52:09.436-07:00Good question for Mesoamerica. I don't think I...Good question for Mesoamerica. I don't think I'm ready to make a decision, but here are a few thoughts:<br /><br />(1) The most influential Mesoamericanist (not necessarily archaeology): Eduard Seler.<br /><br />(2) The most influential Mayan archaeologist: Sylvanus Morley? J. Eric Thompson? Gordon Willey? I don't know the historiography of Maya archaeology well enough to make a judgment.<br /><br />(3) The most influential central Mexican archaeologist: William Sanders.<br /><br />(4) The most influential Mesoamerican archaeology of recent decades: Kent Flannery or William Sanders. This would be a good argument for the bar at the SAA meeting.Michael E. Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03942595266312225661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2971081717687612908.post-73414781034488215892011-06-15T20:23:44.329-07:002011-06-15T20:23:44.329-07:00I agree with you on your choice. However, if we in...I agree with you on your choice. However, if we include the 19th century as well I guess there are people like Thomsen who introduced the Three Age System which people use in many parts of the world. I doubt that he made much more long-lasting contributions than that but his simplified system still influences many archaeologists (including Childe). It is always good to be a pioneer in a field. No contemporary archaeologist will ever be able to make such long-lasting contributions. <br /><br />So, who is the most influential Mesoamerican archaeologist?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com