The main trend in archaeology in the 1970s, "processual archaeology," was shaped according to the model of the natural sciences. This trend was later challenged by a "post-processual" archaeology that preferred to follow the broader perspectives of history and social anthropology, insisting that the context of connections and the meaning of behavior must be taken into account, as well as that those who practice archaeology should recognize its ideological uses.

Ian Hodder, a central figure of the new movement, argues in this book that when we interpret the behavior of past societies, we must combine an interest in the meaningful context with the study of both ecological constraints and economic and social processes. He is thus led to the discussion of systemic theory and structuralist and Marxist approaches in archaeology.

Post-processual archaeology is socially committed and polyphonic: because, if material remains can, in a way, be considered as texts, then they are subject to multiple and conflicting readings. Hodder believes that archaeologists should blend diverse perspectives if they want to meet their complex and uncertain task: "to translate the meaning of the texts of the past into their contemporary language."