Lewis Roberts Binford ( Norfolk , Virginia , November 21, 1930 - Kirksville , Missouri , April 11, 2011 [1] ) was an American archaeologist , who was known as the leader of the " New Archaeology "movement in the fifties and sixties .
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[ hide ] *1 Background
Background [ edit ][]
Binford grew up in a rural part of Virginia on the Atlantic coast. His father was a carpenter . When he was working on his thesis and needed money, he used his skills in carpentry field to begin with. Their own contractor His interest in anthropology was aroused when he worked in the U.S. Army as an interpreter in rural villages in the postwar Okinawa . Binford earned a BA degree at the University of North Carolina and first MA in 1964 and a Ph.D. at the University of Michigan .
Career [ edit ][]
Binford was from 1968-1991 professor of archeology at the University of New Mexico . He then worked at the Southern Methodist University . An article in Scientific American (November to December 1999) Binford described as "'very likely the most influential archaeologist of his generation." [2]
Binford Lewis is best known for his contributions to archaeological theory and his promotion of ethno-archaeological research. As a leading advocate of the "New Archeology' movement in the sixties he worked a number of ideas, which matured to the so processualisme . He and others have argued that in archeology, the emphasis should be placed on the application of scientific methods, and that the hypothetical-deductive method should be applied. Archeology
Lewis puts a strong emphasis on generalities and how people adapt to their ecological niche, which he culture defines as the additional somatic resources to adapt. ecological niche in which This view reflects the influence of his supervisor, Leslie White . Binfords work can largely be seen as a reaction to the cultural historical approach, which preceded the processual archeology. The New Archaeology' movement has long been regarded as a revolution in archaeological theory. In recent years, these movements seen as the result of gradual changes in the archaeological perspective, thanks to the renewed interest in Walter Taylor A study of archeology - a work that Binford himself has cited as a major influence on his own work.
Binford has been involved in several public debates [3,] including a discussion with James Sackett about the nature and function of style and a debate on symbolism and methodology with Ian Hodder. Binford has spoken about and commented on a number of schools within the archaeological thinking, especially the post-procedural school, behaviorism , and symbolic and postmodern anthropologies.
Binford also conducted a public discussion with the French archaeologist François Bordes on the interpretation of Mousterian -sites. Binford was not Bordes agree on the interpretation of these stone objects. This disagreement was the impetus for much of Binfords theoretical work. Bordes explained the variability in Mousterian assemblages as evidence for the existence of different strains, while Binford argued that the objects had a different function. His subsequent inability to explain the differences based on a functional approach led to his ethnoarcheological work among the Nunamiut , an Inupiaq tribe in Alaska , and the development of his' middle-range theory, theory and empirical attempts to integrate .
Part of his early work Binford did in collaboration with his then wife Sally Binford. Their most famous project is the influential anthology New Perspectives in Archaeology .
Binfords latest book, Constructing Frames of Reference (2001) was heavily edited by Nancy Stone.
Honours [ edit ][]
In 2000 he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Leiden for his role in the development of a more scientific archeology. The American Society for Archaeology knew Binford at their annual meeting in 2005, a Lifetime Achievement Award. On May 27, 2010, the International Astronomical Union (made IAU ) announced that it asteroid (213629) Binford has named. Binford to
Work [ edit ][]
- ( and ) Constructing frames of reference. An analytical method for archaeological theory building using hunter-gatherer and environmental data sets ( Constructing frameworks An analytical method for archaeological theory based on hunter-gatherer and environmental data sets. ), Berkeley: University of California Press, (2001) ISBN 0520223934
- ( and ) Debating Archaeology ( Debates on archeology ), San Diego: Academic Press, (1989) ISBN 0121000451
- ( and ) Faunal Remains from Klasies River Mouth ( Animal remains from the mouth of the Klasies ), (1984) ISBN 0-12-100070-2
- ( and ) In Pursuit of the Past. Decoding the Archaeological Record ( Looking to the past. The deciphering of the archaeological record ) (1983) ISBN 0-520-23339-5
- ( and ) Bones, Ancient Men and Modern Myths ( Bones, ancient humans and modern myths ) (1981) ISBN 0-12-100035-4
- ( and ) Nunamiut Ethnoarchaeology ( Ethno-archeology of the Nunamiut ) (1978) ISBN 0-12-100040-0
- ( and ) An archaeological perspective ( An Archaeological Perspective ), New York: Seminar Press, (1972) ISBN 0128077506
- ( and ) New Perspectives in Archaeology ( New Perspectives in Archaeology ) (1968) ISBN 0-202-33022-2
- ( and ) Archaeology as Anthropology ( Archaeology and Anthropology ) (1962)