Bringing Back the Past: Historical Perspectives on Canadian Archaeology (Mercury Series) - Softcover

Over the past century and a half, Canadian archaeology has rehabilitate large portions of a history once thought to be lost beyond recovery. Coincidentally, archaeologists have been implicated in many of the great Canadian debates--topics such as the place of evolutionary theory in science and educational institutions, or the place of national aspirations in history. The advantages of an archaeological perspective have led to its inclusion in many of society's oldest institutions - learned societies, museums, universities, government agencies, and more recently, in private and indigenous enterprises. At various times, it has also brought archaeologists into storms of controversy. Yet the depth and extent of this involvement are not well known, even to archaeologists. This book is among the first to document and analyze the growth of archaeology in Canada. In a series of pioneering essays, it tackles a range of questions such as: Who first encouraged archaeology as a science? Who participated? How did archaeology become institutionalized? How have Native peoples responded? The book is arranged in four sections, People, Institutions, Regions, and Toward the Present.