Abstract

Over the past 25 years, archaeologists have shifted from rejecting and trivializing the history of archaeology (traditionally considered as a harmless amusement for their leisure hours) to considering that this discipline plays a central role in the understanding of archaeological research. This resurgence has been spurred by the emergence of a new generation of scholars who have met modern historiographical standards and practices. In this setting, historians of archaeology have benefited a great deal from a growing dialogue with historians, philosophers and sociologists of science. It is not by chance, for instance, that most of the French-speaking historians who have played a role in the reinvigoration of the history of archaeology in the last two decades are historians and epistemologists of science. However, there are still few studies on the many epistemological, philosophical and sociological facets of archaeological knowledge. In this setting, this volume seeks to explore the relationships between the history of archaeology and other disciplines, include history, epistemology and sociology of science.