This book questions the value of the concept of 'agency', a term used in sociological and philosophical literature to refer to individual free will in archaeology. On the one hand it has been argued that previous generations of archaeologists, in explaining social change in terms of structural or environmental conditions, have lost sight of the 'real people' and reduced them to passive cultural pawns, on the other, introducing the concept of agency to counteract this can be said to perpetuate a modern, Western view of the autonomous individual who is free from social constraints. This book...

What happened to Roman soldiers in Britain during the decline of the empire in the 4th and 5th centuries? Did they withdraw, defect, or go native? More than a question of military history, this is the starting point for Andrew Gardner's incisive exploration of social identity in Roman Britain, in the Roman Empire, and in ancient society. Drawing on the sociological theories of Anthony Giddens and others, Gardner shapes an approach that focuses on the central role of practice in the creation and maintenance of identities--nationalist, gendered, class, and ethnic. This theory is then tested...

What happened to Roman soldiers in Britain during the decline of the empire in the 4th and 5th centuries? Did they withdraw, defect, or go native? More than a question of military history, this is the starting point for Andrew Gardner's incisive exploration of social identity in Roman Britain, in the Roman Empire, and in ancient society. Drawing on the sociological theories of Anthony Giddens and others, Gardner shapes an approach that focuses on the central role of practice in the creation and maintenance of identities--nationalist, gendered, class, and ethnic. This theory is then tested...

This collection of original articles compares various key archaeological topics--agency, violence, social groups, diffusion--from evolutionary and interpretive perspectives. These two strands represent the major current theoretical poles in the discipline. By comparing and contrasting the insights they provide into major archaeological themes, this volume demonstrates the importance of theoretical frameworks in archaeological interpretations. Chapter authors discuss relevant Darwinian or interpretive theory with short archaeological and anthropological case studies to illustrate the...

Often cited as the quintessential travel destination for backpackers and hedonistic party goers, Thailand has enjoyed over three decades of accolades and rave reviews. In fact, in New Delhi in April 2014, Travel & Leisure magazine voted Thailand as the best country destination for travellers, for the third consecutive year in a row. 445km of palm fringed coastline, a diverse and fascinating culture, and food and scenery like nowhere else on earth, doesn't after all, just enchant millions of tourists every year into returning to Thailand. Rather, whether it is in beach side reggae bars, or by...

This history is composed of three parts: Leaving Zion, Reimagining Zion, and Living Zion. Part I - Leaving Zion - provides a chronological historical overview from Baptist beginnings in Chapter One to a history of the Southern Baptist controversies that led to the birth of the Alliance in Chapter Two. The final chapter in Part I provides a summative history of the Alliance from its formation in 1987 to its life and ministry in the second half of the 21st century. Part II - Reimagining Zion - provides a more detailed and topical history of the Alliance of Baptists. Chapter Four provides a...