The Contemporary Archaeology of Inequality Material culture and social change

This edited volume examines the different ways that archaeologists can approach issues of inequality in the recent past. Chapters examine class, Indigenous identity, gender inequality and elitism in archaeology. The focus is on European contexts, and on European colonial legacies. Inequality has long been a key topic for archaeologists, and these contributions pursue novel ways to interact with the issue, problematize assumed ways of knowing, reevaluate concepts and methods, and introduce new perspectives. The chapter authors introduce varied types of data as information sources on inequality, from photographs and interview data to archaeological assemblages and oral histories, offering new insights into inequality in the contemporary past, and enlivening discussion around this theme.