Agency and Identity in the Ancient Near East : New Paths Forward

Concepts of agency and identity have penetrated very little into practices and research agendas in Near Eastern archaeology. This work discusses how agency theory can be employed in reconstructing the meaning of spaces and material culture and, how the availability of a textual corpus may impact the agency approach.

Agency theory examines the relationship between individuals or groups when one party is doing work on behalf of another. ''Agency and Identity in the Ancient Near East'' offers a theoretical study of agency and identity in Near Eastern archaeology, an area which until now has been largely ignored by archaeologists. The book explores how agency theory can be employed in reconstructing the meaning of spaces and material culture, how agency and identity intersect, and how the availability of a textual corpus may impact on the agency approach. Ranging from the Neolithic to the Islamic period, ''Agency and Identity in the Ancient Near East'' covers sites located in Turkey, Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Palestine, and Israel. The volume includes contributions from philology, art, history, computer simulation studies, materials science, and the archaeology of settlement and architecture.