TY - JOUR
T1 - Paradigm Lost
T2 - What Is a Commitment to Theory in Contemporary Archaeology?
AU - Lucas, Gavin
AU - Witmore, Christopher
N1 - Funding Information:
This paper has gone through several incarnations. In its different versions, it has benefitted immeasurably from the feedback of our peers; we would like to thank several anonymous reviewers for their perspectives, readings, and constructive remarks, all of which have helped to shape and improve our writing by showing us where we failed to be clear or forgot to mention the work of others.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Norwegian Archaeological Review.
PY - 2022
Y1 - 2022
N2 - A radical shift in orientation alongside the objects of archaeology has occasioned a reconsideration of what theory is in a very general sense. What function does it serve and how might we define it? In retrospect, these questions arise not in the context of paradigms and strong theories, which some consider to have run their course, but in their absence. Here, there is a danger that theory might be jettisoned altogether if its nature and purpose are not critically re-assessed. The modest goal of this paper is to join in on this conversation.
AB - A radical shift in orientation alongside the objects of archaeology has occasioned a reconsideration of what theory is in a very general sense. What function does it serve and how might we define it? In retrospect, these questions arise not in the context of paradigms and strong theories, which some consider to have run their course, but in their absence. Here, there is a danger that theory might be jettisoned altogether if its nature and purpose are not critically re-assessed. The modest goal of this paper is to join in on this conversation.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85119346983&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/00293652.2021.1986127
DO - 10.1080/00293652.2021.1986127
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85119346983
SN - 0029-3652
VL - 55
SP - 64
EP - 77
JO - Norwegian Archaeological Review
JF - Norwegian Archaeological Review
IS - 1
ER -