The question of ethnicity is highly controversial in contemporary archaeology. Indigenous and nationalist claims to territory, often rely on reconstructions of the past based on the traditional identification of "cultures" from archaeological remains. However, many argue that such associations of remains with past ethnic groups is hopelessly inadequate. This study calls into question how such evidence is used and what conclusions can legitimately be drawn from it. Sian Jones responds to the need for a reassessment of the ways in which social groups are identified in the archaeological record, with a comprehensive and critical synthesis of recent theories of ethnicity in the human sciences. In doing so, she argues for a fundamentally different view of ethnicity, as a complex dynamic form of identification, requiring radical changes in archaeological analysis and interpretation.

希安·瓊斯，斯特林大學環境曆史與遺産係教授，前曼徹斯特大學考古和遺産係教授。她的研究聚焦於身份與政治的考古，以及圍繞著曆史紀念物、建築和地點的考古，希安一直從事遺産保護與管理的研究，特彆是文化意義、社會價值和真實性的研究。她的研究是跨學科的，整閤瞭考古學、社會人類學、文化曆史與物質文化研究。希安的著作包括: 《族屬的考古》( The Archaeology of Ethnicity ) ( Routledge ), 《中世紀早期的雕塑與含義、價值和地點的提煉》( Early Medieval Sculpture and the Production of Meaning, Value and Place ) ( Historic Scotland )，以及共同主編的論文集《碎片化的傑作：復原卡德伯爾石闆的希爾頓傳記》( A Fragmented Masterpiece: recovering the biography of the Hilton of Cadboll cross-slab) ( Society of Antiquaries of Scotland )。她近來還主編過一期《國際曆史考古學雜誌》( The International Journal of Historical Archaeology )有關迴憶、口述史和考古學的專輯( 2012年)。

陳淳，復旦大學文物與博物館學係考古學教授、博導。著作有《考古學的理論與研究》《考古學理論》《當代考古學》《文明與早期國傢探源》《考古學研究入門》《考古學前沿研究：理論與問題》；譯作有《手》《騙局、神話與奧秘》《歐洲文明的曙光》《考古學思想史》（第二版）《時間與傳統》（重譯本）《龍骨山——冰河時代的直立人傳奇》《考古學：理論、方法與實踐》等。

瀋辛成，美國佐治亞理工學院在讀博士，從事科技史和城市史研究。本科畢業於北京大學考古文博學院，並在復旦大學文物與博物館學係和美國哥倫比亞大學人類學係獲得碩士學位。