Ian Hodder

"Catalhoyuk, in central Turkey, became internationally famous in the 1960s when an ancient town - one of the oldest in the world - was discovered together with wonderful wall-paintings and sculptures, many featuring images of leopards. The archaeological finds included female figurines that suggested the possible existence of a "Mother Goddess" cult." "Ian Hodder peels back the layers of history to reveal how people lived and died, how they engaged with one another and with the spirit world. Full of insights into past lives and momentous events, The Leopard's Tale is illustrated with images of the art, the artifacts, and the excavations at this world-famous site."--BOOK JACKET

This book aims to show through a series of examples that an interpretative archaeology dealing with past meanings can be applied in practice to archaeological data, and that it can also contribute effectively to modern social practice. Seven of the nineteen papers included have been specifically written for this volume to act as an overview of the way archaeology has developed over the last ten years. Yet Ian Hodder goes beyond this: he aims to break down the separation of theory and practice and to reconcile the division between the intellectual and the 'dirt' archaeologist. Faced with public controversy over the ownership and interpretation of the past, archaeology ungently needs a clear image of itself, able to gain funding, win public confidence and manage the heritage professionally yet sensitively. This image, however, is often clouded by the theory/practice debate, a division all too often encouraged by the separation of universities and heritage management. Hodder emphasises the importance of finding the right balance. Archaeologists, he asserts, cannot afford to ignore general theory in favour of practice any more than they can afford to shut themselves away in intellectual ivory towers. Theoretical debate is important to any discipline, particularly in archaeology if it is not to become complacent, self-interested and uncritical. Theory and Practice in Archaeology captures and extends the lively debate of the 1980s over symbolic and structural approaches to archaeology. It will be essential reading for students of archaeology and for those involved in and responsible for heritage management.

The Neolithic site of Çatalhöyük in Turkey has been world famous since the 1960s when excavations revealed the large size and dense occupation of the settlement, as well as the spectacular wall paintings and reliefs uncovered inside the houses. Since 1993 an international team of archaeologists, led by Ian Hodder, has been carrying out new excavations and research, in order to shed more light on the people who inhabited the site. Çatalhöyük Excavations presents the results of the excavations that took place at the site from 2000 to 2008 when the main aim was to understand the social geography of the settlement, its layout and social organization. Excavation, recording and sampling methodologies are discussed as well as dating, 'levels', and the grouping of buildings into social sectors.

"This book tackles the topic of religion, a broad subject exciting renewed interest across the social and historical sciences. The volume is tightly focused on the early farming village of Çatalhöyük, which has generated much interest both within and outside of archaeology, especially for its contributions to the understanding of early religion. The volume discusses contemporary themes such as materiality, animism, object vitality, and material dimensions of spirituality while at the same time exploring broad evolutionary changes in the ways in which religion has influenced society. The volume results from a unique collaboration between an archaeological team and a range of specialists in ritual and religion"--