Introduction

This book describes and explains a good sample of controversial sites and theories, building a picture of working scientists struggling to make sense of observations. Archaeology is a science remarkably suited to illustrating how societal biases and conventional dogmas affect interpretation, and even discovery, of empirical factsEvidence may have been pulled out of context, or the function of artifacts may be debated; accuracy or significance of dates can be challenged, or possibilities of social contacts denied. Interpretations that fit popular stereotypes fare better than upsetting ones. Some controversial positions rest upon religious convictions attributed to divine revelation, by definition outside the scientific method. Reading and discussing controversies in archaeology is training in critical thinking, yet it will also raise consciousness of the power of social forces upon individuals' thinking.