A Note from the Editors
Volume 20 has landed! 2012 has been a year of anniversaries for theoretical archaeology. It is 50 years since the publication of Archaeology as Anthropology, 30 years since that of Symbols in Action and 25 years since Re-constructing Archaeology: Theory and Practice was published – all of them theoretical texts which have made a huge impact and difference to the discipline. From a Scandinavian perspective it is also 15 years since Fra ting til tekst was published.
But 2012 was also an anniversary for Current Swedish Archaeology itself: 20 years ago the first volume was published. From the very start the journal has made an important contribution in introducing new theoretical perspectives in Swedish archaeology and therefore it has been almost natural to make these anniversaries the topic for the keynote of the 2012 issue. The central theme for the keynote discussion has been:
Where does the theoretical archaeology of Sweden and in a wider perspective Scandinavia stand today in relation to these anniversaries?
Bjørnar Olsen was kind and brave enough to take up the challenge of writing a keynote on this far-from-easy subject. In the keynote he presents his personal reflection on where theoretical archaeology stands today. We are also glad to present eight detailed comments on the text – by Elisabeth Arwill-Nordbladh, Mats Burström, Yannis Hamilakis, Cornelius Holtorf, Anna Källén, Brit Solli, Julian Thomas and Jes Wienberg – bringing in perspectives from a Scandinavian standpoint as well as from other parts of the world. We are pleased to present you with an interesting, dynamic and not always consensual discussion that in many ways shows both problems and possibilities as regards where the theoretical archaeology in a wider perspective stand today. Let us hope that this exchange will inspire further discussion on this subject or even start a new theoretical debate.
The three other articles in the volume reflect the variety of themes we see in Swedish archaeology. Fredrik Fahlander discusses the significance of the postmodern perspective in archaeology and where we stand today. Anders Högberg’s article touches on how heritage management communicates knowledge and perspectives using signs as media. Gustav Wollentz argues that the reuse of Neolithic monuments as well as reuse in other archaeological contexts should not be studied in isolation but as part of contemporary society.
We wish you a pleasant read and hope that you find it to some extent provocative. Do not forget to submit manuscripts for next year’s volume before the end of March.
With this volume Anna Lihammer leaves her position as editor, and we welcome Fredrik Fahlander as a new editor.
We wish you a pleasant and inspirational read with the latest in Swedish archaeology. Do not forget to submit manuscripts for next year’s volume before the end of March, and keep posted on our web site for the latest news on the open access publication of previous volumes.
To purchase this or previous volumes, please contact our distributors at csa@forlagssystem.se
The Editors |
