后过程主义考古学应可直接称为后过程考古学（post-processual archaeology），它是一个相对于过程考古学的名词。实质上，它和过程学派的单一势力也不同，它的成分中包含了各式各样的支派，例如：

他们被称为“后过程”因为他们共同的特点，在于反对路易斯·宾佛（Lewis Binford）那一套过于机制性的物质主义研究。Binford本人是动物学者出身的，因此相当深信他所提出的Main System底下有众多Sub-system的机制系统。而朱利安·史都华的Cultural Ecology，也被视为一个可资利用的方向，但单单用Adaptation的角度推论人类社区的行为，未免太过机械性，同时也把人类的主观意识排除了。因此，后过程学派的学者一致性的反对这种过于“唯物”的观点。

Post-processual archaeology, which is sometimes alternately referred to as the interpretative archaeologies by its adherents, is a movement in archaeological theory that emphasizes the subjectivity of archaeological interpretations. Despite having a vague series of similarities, post-processualism consists of "very diverse strands of thought coalesced into a loose cluster of traditions". Within the post-processualist movement, a wide variety of theoretical viewpoints have been embraced, including structuralism and Neo-Marxism, as have a variety of different archaeological techniques, such as phenomenology.