Could science, if properly understood, provide us with the methodological key to the salvation of humanity? That is a chief question coursing through the works of Karl Popper, who famously maintained that science cannot verify theories but only refute them, thereby bringing about progress. Nicholas Maxwell’s new book disputes this line of argument. By proposing a new conception of scientific methodology on disunified theories—which can be applied to all worthwhile human endeavours with problematic aims—this book calls for a new revolution in inquiry to help humanity advance towards a more civilized and enlightened world. 
 

This book presents an overview of the key concepts in public archaeology—a field that examines the relationship between archaeology and the public—and seeks to clarify the discipline by adopting a socially and politically engaged vision. The individual chapters introduce the themes, theories, and controversies that connect archaeology to society by providing case studies that survey the trade in illicit antiquities and how digital media are used to promote public engagement with the field. Written for both students and practitioners alike, the book also will be an essential resource for pointing readers to further scholarship.

Beni-Amer cattle owners in the western part of the Horn of Africa are not only masters in cattle breeding, they are also knowledge sovereign, in terms of owning productive genes of cattle and the cognitive knowledge base crucial to sustainable development. The strong bonds between the Beni-Amer, their animals, and their environment constitute the basis of their ways of knowing, and much of their knowledge system is built on experience and embedded in their cultural practices.

In this book, the first to study Beni-Amer practices, Zeremariam Fre argues for the importance of their knowledge, challenging the preconceptions that regard it as untrustworthy when compared to scientific knowledge from more developed regions. Empirical evidence suggests that there is much one could learn from the other, since elements of pastoralist technology, such as those related to animal production and husbandry, make a direct contribution to our knowledge of livestock production. It is this potential for hybridization, as well as the resilience of the herders, at the core of the indigenous knowledge system.

Fre also argues that indigenous knowledge can be viewed as a stand-alone science, and that a community’s rights over ownership should be defended by government officials, development planners and policy makers, making the case for a celebration of the knowledge sovereignty of pastoralist communities