As in the present, past peoples commemorated, constructed, and manipulated their past for their own social and political ends. Archaeologists can use a variety of evidence to study social memory and to recover past ideas about what the more distant past was like. Archaeologies of Memory is a groundbreaking text that presents a coherent framework for the study of memory in past societies. This unique collection of new essays brings together contributions from both anthropological and classical archaeologists. Essays, drawn from a variety of cultures and time periods, engage a number of common themes, such as issues of authority and identity, and the role memory plays in their creation and transformation. Archaeologies of Memory is an accessible investigation into the central issues in the study of memory and provides an engaging introduction to this controversial subject.