The main trend in archaeology in the 1970s, "processual archaeology," was shaped according to the model of the natural sciences. This trend was then challenged by a "post-processual" archaeology that preferred to follow the broader perspectives of history and anthropology, insisting that the environment and the meaning of behavior should be taken into account, as well as that those who practice archaeology should recognize its ideological uses. Ian Hodder emerged as a central figure in the new movement with his book Reading the Past (1st ed. 1986, 2nd ed. 1991), which has been presented in Greek by the Publishers of the Twenty-First. Hodder focuses on his own "objective" approach, which integrates data into their semantic frameworks, but at the same time defends the polyphonic character of post-processual archaeology: because if material remains can be considered as texts in a way, then they allow for multiple and divergent readings. Hodder believes that archaeologists must reconcile various perspectives if they want to fulfill their complex and uncertain task: "to translate the meaning of the texts of the past into their contemporary language."

In 2003, Hodder, this time with collaborator Scott Hutson, returns with a third, radically new edition of his work. Chapters were removed and added, while some others were completely revised, so that the new material covers almost half of the book's extent. The authors present and comment on the latest developments in the theoretical debates of the field: thus, alongside discussions about systemic theory, structural and Marxist approaches, or feminist archaeology, issues such as agency theory, cultural history, and the approach of integration are also addressed. The new book is therefore the best introduction to archaeological theory as it is shaped in the dawn of the twenty-first century, while maintaining a unique perspective.