The Development of Ethnoarchaeological Thought in Russian Archaeology

Abstract

This chapter aims to present a century-long tradition of Russian archeology aimed at developing theoretical and methodological principles for the use of ethnographic data for archaeological reconstructions. These attempts began with the emergence of an evolutionary paradigm and then continued with the development of a comparative method, making possible a systematic comparision of ethnographic and archaeological data. The authors further discuss the consequences of the introduction of Marxism and the possibility it offered for the reconstruction of social and economic relations in the past. They further present recent developments and discuss the significance of ethnoarchaeology for Russian archaeology.