Lewis Binford

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lewis Binford (courtesy of SMU)

Lewis Roberts Binford, Ph.D. (born 21 November 1930^[1] in Norfolk, Virginia), is an American archaeologist, known as the leader of the "New Archaeology" movement of the 1950s/60s. He is University Distinguished Professor emeritus at Southern Methodist University.

Binford's contribution to archaeology was more theoretical than practical. He advocated a number of ideas that matured into processualism. He and others argued that there should be emphasis on the application of scientific methodologies as well as the hypothetico-deductive method to archaeology. He placed a strong emphasis on generalities and the way in which human beings interacted with their ecological niche. Binford's work can largely be seen as a reaction to the culture history approach that preceded the new/processual archaeology.

Binford is known for his dogmatism and refusal to accept criticism. He has spoken out and reacted to a number of schools of thought, particularly the post-processual school, the behavioural school, and the symbolic and postmodern anthropologies. Binford is also known for his rivalry with French archaeologist François Bordes, with whom he argued over the interpretation of Mousterian sites.

Some of Binford's early work was prepared in collaboration with then-wife Sally Binford. Their best-known collaboration is the influential anthology New Perspectives In Archaeology.

Binford's education includes a B.A. degree from the University of North Carolina and an M.A. and a Ph.D. (1964) from the University of Michigan.^[2] In 2000, he received an honorary doctorate at Leiden University for his role in the development of a more scientific archaeology.

[edit] Works

New Perspectives in Archaeology (1968) ISBN 0-202-33022-2
Nunamiut Ethnoarchaeology (1978) ISBN 0-12-100040-0
Bones, Ancient Men and Modern Myths (1981) ISBN 0-12-100035-4
In Pursuit of the Past: Decoding the Archaeological Record (1983) ISBN 0-520-23339-5
Faunal Remains from Klasies River Mouth (1984) ISBN 0-12-100070-2