Questions of Substance, Questions That Count

Historical archaeology, while amassing a large body of data, is currently proceeding without benefit of organizing theory. As a consequence, both methodology and data synthesis have suffered, often leading to the testing of hypotheses with the same data used to form them. The result of over 20 years of research is a mixed bag of contributions, ranging from obvious answers to naive and self-evident questions to the testing of hypotheses concerning complex intersite relationships and cultural dynamics. In this paper I examine both the strengths and weaknesses of the discipline, and I provide examples of studies dealing with questions of substance. Finally, specific suggestions for future research are offered.