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Walter Willard Taylor [1913-1997]

By K. Kris Hirst, About.com

Definition: American archaeologist Walter Taylor was born in Chicago and studied at Yale. His first book called "A Study of Archaeology" excoriated archaeological practices of the time and suggested instead what he called 'the conjunctive approach'. Conjunctive meant that archaeology should be an integrated science, combining research into diet, settlement patterns, tools, the works. In 1948, when A Study was published, there was a great deal of animosity towards the young whippersnapper who was none too polite about his opinions; but today, archaeological research is almost always conducted as an integrated science. A Study of Archaeology is a classic, still in press sixty years later.

This glossary entry is part of the Dictionary of Archaeology. Sources for the term include the references listed on the front page of the Dictionary, and the websites listed in the sidebar. Any mistakes are the responsibility of Kris Hirst.

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