"I'm the Oldest New Archaeologist in Town": The intellectual evolution of Lewis R. Binford

Abstract

Lewis R. Binford was a hugely significant figure in the archaeology of the 20th century. His prolific publications invigorated the role of anthropology in archaeology, and pioneered the development of processualism, scientific archaeology, middle range theory, ethnoarchaeology, hunter-gatherer studies, and the use of global scales of analysis in constructing conceptual frameworks for understanding the organization and evolution of cultural systems. In this issue, two of Binford's most important contributions - middle range research and the construction of frames of reference - are brought into new relevance with case studies that span time from the Middle Pleistocene to modern-day traditional communities, and global regions from the sub-arctic and temperate to the desert and the tropics. The concluding article considers in detail what makes a truly influential archaeologist in today's society.