Culture Contact or Colonialism? Challenges in the Archaeology of Native North America
@article{Silliman2005CultureCO, title={Culture Contact or Colonialism? Challenges in the Archaeology of Native North America}, author={Stephen W. Silliman}, journal={American Antiquity}, year={2005}, volume={70}, pages={55 - 74} }
What has frequently been termed “contact-period“ archaeology has assumed a prominent role in North American archaeology in the last two decades. This article examines the conceptual foundation of archaeological “culture contact” studies by sharpening the terminological and interpretive distinction between “contact” and “colonialism.” The conflation of these two terms, and thereby realms of historical experience, has proven detrimental to archaeologists’ attempts to understand indigenous and…
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