Industrial archaeology is the study of early industrial buildings and machinery, particularly of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. When this book was originally published in 1963, this was becoming a topic of lively interest and controversy among archaeologists, historians, architects and engineers. This book discusses the aims and methods of the science, giving examples of the contribution which different kinds of specialists can make. This shows a fascinating slice of the history of the discipline of archaeology as well as offering insights into industrial archaeology when the term was first being used. As the first text on the subject, this book also lead to the start of the industrial archaeology movement in the USA.

In studying the past, archaeologists have focused on the material remains of our ancestors. Prehistorians generally have only artifacts to study and rely on the diverse material record for their understanding of past societies and their behavior. Those involved in studying historically documented cultures not only have extensive material remains but also contemporary texts, images, and a range of investigative technologies to enable them to build a broader and more reflexive picture of how past societies, communities, and individuals operated and behaved. Increasingly, historical archaeology refers not to a particular period, place, or a method, but rather an approach that interrogates the tensions between artifacts and texts irrespective of context. In short, historical archaeology provides direct evidence for how humans have shaped the world we live in today. Historical archaeology is a branch of global archaeology that has grown in the last 40 years from its North American base into an increasingly global community of archaeologists each studying their area of the world in a historical context. Where historical archaeology started as part of the study of the post-Columbian societies of the United States and Canada, it has now expanded to interface with the post-medieval archaeologies of Europe and the diverse post-imperial experiences of Africa, Latin America, and Australasia. The 36 essays in the International Handbook of Historical Archaeology have been specially commissioned from the leading researchers in their fields, creating a wide-ranging digest of the increasingly global field of historical archaeology. The volume is divided into two sections, the first reviewing the key themes, issues, and approaches of historical archaeology today, and the second containing a series of case studies charting the development and current state of historical archaeological practice around the world. This key reference work captures the energy and diversity of this global discipline today.

Industrial Archaeology sets out a coherent methodology for the discipline which expands on and extends beyond the purely functional analysis of industrial landscapes, structures and artefacts to their cultural meaning.

Industrial Archaeology uses the techniques of mainstream archaeological excavation, analysis and interpretation to present an enlightening picture of industrial society. Technology and heritage have, until recently, been the focal points of study in industrialization. Industrial Archaeology sets out a coherent methodology for the discipline which expands on and extends beyond the purely functional analysis of industrial landscapes, structures and artefacts to a broader consideration of their cultural meaning and value. The authors examine, for example, the social context of industrialization, including the effect of new means of production on working patterns, diet and health.

First published in 1987, The Heritage Industry sets out to protect the present and the future of life in Britain from their most dangerous enemy: a creeping takeover by the past. The author sets today’s obsession with yesterday in the context of a climate of social and political decline. The economic uncertainties and cultural convulsions of post-war life have made the past seem a pleasanter and safer place. But how true is that image of the past, and whose past is it, anyway? Hewison questions the way institutions like the National Trust are helping to create a past that never was. While the real economy crumbles, a new force is taking over: the Heritage Industry, a movement dedicated to turning the British Isles into one vast open-air museum. This book will be of interest to students of history, art and cultural studies.

This volume comprises the authoritative work from the International Committee for the Conservation of the Industrial Heritage – the international group dedicated to industrial archaeology and heritage – detailing the latest approaches to the conservation of the global industrial heritage. With contributions from over thirty specialists in archaeology and industrial heritage, Industrial Heritage Re-tooled establishes the first set of comprehensive best practices for the management, conservation, and interpretation of historical industrial sites. This book:-defines the meaning and scope of industrial heritage within an international context;-addresses the identification and conservation of the material remains of industry;-covers subjects as diverse as documentation and recording of industrial heritage, industrial tourism, and the teaching of industrial heritage in museums, schools, and universities.