内容简介
Thisinterdisciplinarybookexaminesarchaeology’sengagementwithsemiotics,fromitsearlystructuralistbeginningstoitsmorerecentPeircianencounters.ItrepresentsthefirstsustainedengagementwithPeirciansemioticsinarchaeology,aswellasthefirstdiscussionofhowpragmaticanthropologyarticulateswithanthropologicalarchaeology.Itscentralthesisisthatarchaeologyisadistinctivekindofsemioticenterprise;onedevotedtogivingmeaningtothepastinthepresentthroughthestudyofmateriality.Itcomplimentsstandardstudiesoflinguisticsandreformulatescontemporarytheoriesofmaterialculture.