Archaeology of the Contemporary Era

Alfredo González-Ruibal is a researcher with the Institute of Heritage Sciences of the Spanish National Research Council. His research focuses on the archaeology of the contemporary past, and particularly on the dark side of modernity: war, dictatorship, predatory capitalism and colonialism. He has conducted fieldwork in Spain, Brazil, Equatorial Guinea and the Horn of Africa.

• 1. An Archaeology of the Contemporary Era 2. Ruins 3. Politics 4. Ethics 5. Aesthetics 6. Time 7. Space 8. Materiality 9. Conclusions

This text will likely be indispensable for advanced undergraduates and graduate students entering the field, as well as thought provoking for professionals engaged in the development and interpretation of new projects. The thematic organization of chapters allows for accessible piecemeal reading, but at the same time, each section builds to contribute to González-Ruibal’s political intervention into and rehabilitation of archaeology as the discipline primed to enhance our understanding of (super)modernity. African Archaeological Review, Johanna A. PacygaThis book is the most formidable, encompassing, agenda-setting instalment in the growing archaeology of the contemporary era. It will shape and sharpen the conversation for years to come. Norwegian Archaeological Review - Lori Khatchadourian