Overview

Inspired by the work of Peter Seixas in history, we have identified six concepts that serve as portals to approach archaeology as a subject for analysis. These six concepts are not content as much as they are sources of questions or situations that invite and support students in thinking critically about what they are learning. As such, they serve a dual purpose:

• teachers can use these concepts to raise critical questions about archaeological subject matter;
• students can learn to use these concepts as tools to think in more sophisticated ways about humans and their interaction with the material world through time.

The six portal concepts are:

• Archaeological significance
• Evidence and interpretation
• Similarities and differences
• Cause and effect
• Archaeological perspective
• Archaeological value judgments

Each of the six chapters begins with a scenario that illustrates the concept in archaeological thinking and why it is important. Outlines of key dimensions or aspects of the portal follow. In “Introducing the concept to students,” specific suggestions for teaching the nature of the concept are provided. Where appropriate, suggestions for both secondary and younger students are made. Blackline masters may be referred to in the text. These are numbered throughout this resource sequentially and are found at the back of the book in Appendix A.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Acknowledgments

1 Introduction to archaeological thinking
2 Archaeological significance
3 Evidence and interpretation
4 Similarities and differences
5 Cause and effect
6 Archaeological perspective
7 Archaeological value judgments
8 The connection between critical and archaeological thinking

Appendices
Blackline Masters
Online archaeology resources
Glossary