Ian Hodder can indisputably be considered one of the most influential archaeologists of the last few decades. Following his studies at Cambridge, he established himself among the leading theorists and played a crucial role in bringing about the post-processual movement in archaeological theory (Yoffee 2003, 860). Hodder’s amount of academic contribution to the discipline spans a multitude of areas and issues. Several of these seem to have made especially large impact, such as his extensive excavations at the site of Çatalhöyük, which later became an experimental ground for his reflexive excavation theories. This essay will attempt to shed light on Hodder’s contribution to the development of archaeological thought through examples of his work in the development of reflexive archaeology and material culture.
As a term, post-processual is a very broad and complex set of ideas that formed in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a response and critique of processual archaeology, and which brought about a significant ideological shift in archaeological theory (Johnson 2002, 89; Preucel 1995, 147; Hodder 2004, 74). Described by many as an essentially indefinable movement, it encompasses a great number of approaches to human history, stemming from the political atmosphere in Britain at the time and drawing on various …show more content…
These concepts address, out of the many, the issues of interpretation, context, political resonance, hermeneutics and the role of the individual (Greene & Moore 2010, 276; Johnson 2002, 102-108). All of these eight basic concepts proposed by Johnson can be found to some extent in the work of Ian Hodder. His views are fluid and seem to always be on the cutting-edge of theories without being radical for their own sake (Hodder, Kalsson & Olsen 2008,
As a term, post-processual is a very broad and complex set of ideas that formed in the late 1970s and early 1980s as a response and critique of processual archaeology, and which brought about a significant ideological shift in archaeological theory (Johnson 2002, 89; Preucel 1995, 147; Hodder 2004, 74). Described by many as an essentially indefinable movement, it encompasses a great number of approaches to human history, stemming from the political atmosphere in Britain at the time and drawing on various …show more content…
These concepts address, out of the many, the issues of interpretation, context, political resonance, hermeneutics and the role of the individual (Greene & Moore 2010, 276; Johnson 2002, 102-108). All of these eight basic concepts proposed by Johnson can be found to some extent in the work of Ian Hodder. His views are fluid and seem to always be on the cutting-edge of theories without being radical for their own sake (Hodder, Kalsson & Olsen 2008,