3 - Advances in Urban Archaeology

Abstract

This chapter discusses the evolution made in urban archaeology and its' current practice in the United States. Urban archaeology, a relatively new research area in America, is growing rapidly. Archaeologists are still surprised at the tremendous possibility and promise of conducting urban research, a surprise that is sensed usually long after projects are begun. The amount of available information is great because the processes of urbanization are not very destructive to the archaeological record. Investigations of culture history, ethnicity, preservation, and urban development are prevalent in urban archaeology today. In the future, however, it is probable that other problem domains will be considered, and other data and information will be viewed as significant. Potential research interests include expanding sociopolitical frontiers, boomtowns, colonization, and the importation of Western urban society into non-Western rural regions of the world. When the number and type of research questions asked increases, urban archaeology will be more fully recognized as a legitimate and relevant field of inquiry.