Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-15T01:31:13.832Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Comments on David Meltzer's “Paradigms and the Nature of Change in American Archaeology”

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Jay F. Custer*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, University of Delaware, Newark, Delaware 19711

Abstract

Meltzer indicates that little change is evidenced by the New Archaeology. To the contrary, analysis of changes in archaeological theory since 1960, in light of changes in anthropological theory, indicates that a major metaphysical shift from historical, particularistic research to nomothetic research seeking explanations has occurred. Therefore, a major paradigm shift is indicated.

Type
Comments
Copyright
Copyright © Society for American Archaeology 1981

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

References Cited

Binford, L. R. 1962 Archaeology as anthropology. American Antiquity 28:217225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Binford, L. R. 1977 For theory building in archaeoiogy. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar
Binford, L. R. 1978 Dimensional analysis of behavior and site structure. American Antiquity 43:330361.Google Scholar
Binford, L. R. 1979 Comments on confusion. American Antiquity 44:591593.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunnell, R. 1978 Style and function: a fundamental dichotomy. American Antiquity 43:192202.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Harris, M. 1968 The rise of anthropological theory. Thomas Y. Crowell, New York.Google Scholar
Meltzer, D. J. 1979 Paradigms and the nature of change in American archaeology. American Antiquity 44:644657.Google Scholar
Steward, J. 1942 The direct historical approach to archaeology. American Antiquity 7:337343.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Strong, W. D. 1935 An introduction to Nebraska archaeology. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 93(10).Google Scholar
Wedel, W. R. 1938 The direct historical approach in Pawnee archaeology. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections 97(7).Google Scholar
Willey, G. R., and Phillips, P. 1958 Method and theory in American archaeology. University of Chicago Press, Chicago.Google Scholar
Willey, G. R., and Sabloff, J. 1974 A history of American archaeology. Freeman, San Francisco.Google Scholar
Yellen, J. E. 1978 Archaeological approaches to the present. Academic Press, New York.Google Scholar