Archaeology Outside the Box

Book excerpt: Archaeology Outside the Box makes contemporary archaeology germane to the general public as well as to researchers in other disciplines. In thirty-one richly illustrated chapters, a wide variety of projects is presented by an international group of anthropologists, archaeologists, architects, and artists. These aim to broaden the applicability of archaeology by reflecting on archaeological remains in novel ways, or by addressing contemporary concerns with archaeological theory and research methods. Demonstrating the fascinating and pertinent nature of archaeology, the authors go far beyond its definition as a discipline that unearths objects of ancient material culture. Many chapters also provide arguments relevant to the soul-searching discussions currently taking place within archaeology worldwide and accelerated by the Black Lives Matter movement and the recent Covid-19 pandemic.