Lewis Binford (1931–2011)
Born 1931 CE, died 2011 CE.
Lewis Roberts Binford (November 21, 1931 – April 11, 2011) was an American archaeologist known for his influential work in archaeological theory, ethnoarchaeology and the Paleolithic archaeology. He is widely considered among the most influential archaeologists of the later 20th century, and is credited with fundamentally changing the field with the introduction of processual archaeology (or the "New Archaeology") in the 1960s. Binford, a highly productive writer, who achieved an extraordinary level influence in ideas, methodology, and behavioral research internationally, a legacy that continues to the present. His influence was controversial, however, as he seemed to pit theoretical work in archaeology in the late 1980s and 1990s as either a reaction to or in support of the processual paradigm. Recent appraisals remain split, some judging his contributions mainly in terms of his innovative ideas and approaches, and others focusing on the fact that his approach owed more to prior work in the 1940s and 50s than he recognized.
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