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In conversation with Leo S. Klejn

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 November 2015

Stephen Leach
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Abstract

This interview discusses the comparison that Klejn draws between archaeology and forensic science. This is a comparison that has been made many times previously by many different archaeologists (and crime writers), but Klejn is unusual in that he explores the implications of their similarity. In his view it is archaeology rather than history that is most closely related to forensic science. The difference between archaeology and history is important because when this difference was ignored, in the Soviet Union, it was to the detriment of both disciplines. Hence Klejn's continued concern – that the difference between archaeology and history is still, to some extent, ignored. Other subjects discussed include Klejn's view of the role of theory in relation to practice, his criticisms of New Archaeology and postprocessual archaeology, typology, the underlying principles of archaeology, ethnogenesis and the history of archaeology. Of course, in an interview of this length not all of these subjects are covered in great depth but it is hoped that enough is said that the reader may appreciate something of the nature and originality of Klejn's views.

Keywords

forensic scienceNew Archaeologypostprocessual archaeologytypologyRussian archaeology
Type
Interview
Information
Archaeological Dialogues , Volume 22 , Issue 2 , December 2015 , pp. 171 - 185
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2015 

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References

References

Klejn, L., 1978: Archaeological sources, St Petersburg (published in Russian).Google Scholar
Klejn, L., 1982: Archaeological typology, Oxford.Google Scholar
Klejn, L., 1993: The phenomenon of Soviet archaeology, St Petersburg (published in Russian).Google Scholar
Klejn, L., 1993–94: The functions of archaeological theory, Journal of archaeological theory 3–4, 1–39.Google Scholar
Klejn, L., 1994: Overcoming national romanticism in archaeology, Fenoscandia archaeologia 11, 87–88.Google Scholar
Klejn, L., 2000: Archaeology in the saddle. Kossinna at a distance of 70 years, Stratum plus 4, 88–140 (published in Russian).Google Scholar
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Klejn, L., 2009: The Varangian controversy, St Petersburg (published in Russian).Google Scholar
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Previous interviews with Leo Klejn

Burström, M., 1994: An ivory tower in archaeology? A conversation with Leo S. Klejn, Current Swedish archaeology 2, 7–12.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Immonen, V., 2003: The stratigraphy of a life. An archaeological dialogue with Leo Klejn, Archaeological dialogues 10 (1), 57–75.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kristiansen, K., 1993: Exploring the limits. An interview with Leo Klejn, Journal of European archaeology 1 (1), 184–94.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Taylor, T., 1994: Conversations with Leo Klejn, Current anthropology 34 (5), 723–35.CrossRefGoogle Scholar