Abstract
How does an object in the ground become a discovery on the ground? This paper analyzes how archaeologists produce the content and status of a discovery before it is unearthed, a phenomenon I call “prospective loading.” It includes intense social knowledge of the soil, a form of embodied knowledge that I call “dirt sense”. These forces and mechanisms do not always work together harmoniously. Qualitative data from three excavations demonstrate how deep sensory perception thrives alongside sophisticated technology, and is construed as vital to the discovery process. The case has implications for how we think about cultural knowledge in scientific work and theorize the role of nationalism and politics in archaeology.
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