The Hand That Mocked: A Rejoinder to Murray

Abstract

Murray has criticised a number of points raised in my article (Early Physical Anthropology etc.). As his article contains a number of misrepresentations of my position, and as he and I seem to differ over some fairly fundamental things, it seemed that a reply was warranted. Firstly, though, the article in question should perhaps be briefly summarised. The argument presented there was that socio-political values may be incorporated into archaeological research. They can have the important effect of giving 'scientific' weight to present political positions (whether they be support for Land Rights or for Apartheid). Consequently, a number of archaeologists have argued that something should be done to prevent archaeology from simply becoming a forum for modern politics. My position was that politics can never be excised from archaeology, but that hypotheses should be tested to allow people to attack political beliefs they do not follow. I argued that confirmation would not allow this, but refutation would. My comments were meant to be applicable only to academic archaeology as practised within western universities and museums, not to all manner of beliefs about the past.