Archaeological Structuration: A Critical Engagement for the Twenty-First Century

Archaeological Structuration is a critical analysis of the theory of structuration and its utility in the study of societal development over deep time.Structuration theory was originally developed by Anthony Giddens in sociology and adopted piecemeal into archaeology.This book takes a closer look at its contributions to new materialism and develops novel ways to operationalize the theory in archaeological research in the twenty-first century. To illustrate the usefulness of structuration theory, archaeologist Michael T.Searcy deploys it to uncover new understandings of ancient societies, particularly focusing on the Casas Grandes civilization in precolonial northern Mexico.Spanning more than seven hundred years, this society exemplifies the rise of social complexity in the Western Hemisphere.Searcy reexamines previous hypotheses about major structural shifts during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries CE, providing fresh insights and updated perspectives. This book not only revisits th