Interpretation Of Material Culture Research Articles

The walking dead: Identity, variability, and cultural interactions of funerary behaviors between Crete and mainland Greece during the Early Iron Age (11th to 8th BC)

This paper aims to examine funerary contexts of sites in mainland Greece and compare them with sites on the island of Crete in Ancient Mediterranean during the Early Iron Age, in the period of circa the 11th until the 8th centuries BC. From an integrative approach to the analysis and interpretation of material culture from funerary contexts allow us to understand aspects of the space of the dead, aspects of mortuary practices and their role in the configuration of the historical context of the rise and formation of the polis, especially during the 8th century BC. The comparative analyses also provide a better understanding about contact and interactions in the Mediterranean. This requires us to analyze and consider on the different nature of material culture from funerary contexts, such as types of treatment and deposition/disposal/placement of the body of the dead, the construction of funerary architecture, grave goods, and the agency of the space of the dead in the construction of the funerary topography (funerary landscape). Cultural interactions are material expressions resulting from the exchange of ideas, know-how, technique and technology, beliefs, customs, and behaviors, both from objects and from the movement of people. They constitute a prospective field to address mortuary archaeological data as an active part of death and of the social process of dying. Funerary behaviors assign meanings, build memories and identities to biological death. They bring life to the transition of an active person in the “world of the living” into a passive “material thing” in the “world of the dead”. Thus, the dead, become the “walking dead” and “come to life”. Cultural interactions during the Early Iron Age constitute a fundamental element in the configuration of a new historical structure, the polis, which characterizes the Greek world as a unit – not homogeneous but consisting of heterogeneous and idiosyncratic aspects. Mortuary practices integrate this world of simultaneously standardized and peculiar actions and have crucial roles in the hellenic identity and in the identity particularities of its polis in Greek mainland and Crete.

Material culture in Southern Ndebele identity making in post-apartheid South Africa

This paper examines the degree to which belonging to “Southern Ndebele”’ identity is expressed through material culture, such as beadwork, wall paintings, architecture and distinctive ways of dressing. Seeing material culture as a signifier and proclamation of Ndebele identity has attracted media attention and generated valuable insight about the expression of belonging to Ndebele identity in South Africa. However, drawing inferences about identity from material culture can obscure details and nuances about identity and belonging and the complex manner in which they relate to material culture. This article argues that the inherently complex and unstable nature of ethnic identities has to be considered when analysing and detecting shifts in material culture and its use as an identity marker in Ndebele communities. Drawing on the long history of association between Ndebele identity and material culture, this paper exposes the dynamics, complexities and nuances about identity and belonging to push beyond narrow interpretations of material culture as markers and expression of Ndebeleness. Based on ethnographic research conducted in the KwaMhlanga region, the paper explores the material production of Ndebeleness within the context of crafting a South African nation in order to illuminate the complexities of formulations of meaning and belonging.

The archaeology of contemporary artisanal gold mining at Mutanda Site, Eastern Zimbabwe

ABSTRACTIn this paper I seek to redefine how we might go about doing archaeology in a way that effectively decolonizes it by collaborating with local communities in research projects. My emphasis is on mining archaeology in precolonial and contemporary settings with a view to contributing to documenting and understanding indigenous African gold mining practices. I achieve this through an empirical illustration of a collaborative archaeological excavation undertaken at Mutanda Site in Eastern Zimbabwe and how we interpreted the recovered material culture jointly, using dialogical ethnographic engagements with community members. The paper also illustrates that gold mining in this area heavily relies upon indigenous knowledge of the past and its application in the present. Interpretation of material culture recovered during the excavation occurred using ethnographic analogies and ritual beliefs that are associated with mining in the area. Thus, a social process of knowledge production developed within this collaborative research.

Early Korea: Re-thinking Boundaries and Identities

Early Korea:Re-thinking Boundaries and Identities Jack Davey (bio) and Dennis Lee (bio) introduction The last ten years have been productive for Korean archaeology and early Korean historical studies. A mature practice of field archaeology in Korea is producing more excellent data every year. There has been a flurry of new scholarship both within and outside Korea, with many studies rethinking and re-evaluating commonly held assumptions and beliefs regarding the interpretation of material culture, and significantly, much more of these data and associated research are available in English than ever before. Of particular note here are the Early Korea volumes produced by the Early Korea Project at Harvard University and the 2015 (vol. 54, no. 1) special issue of Asian Perspectives. These sources have provided excellent introductions and surveys of major periods and issues within early Korean archaeology and history. The current special issue is the result of a conference on "Interdisciplinary Approaches to Early Korea" held at University of California, Berkeley on 27 April 2017. The conference brought together scholars working on material from the Korean peninsula who blend history and archaeology in interesting ways or eschew traditional approaches entirely. The goal of this conference and this special issue is not to offer another "state of the field" overview, but to highlight the diverse and innovative approaches of early career scholars working outside of Korean academia. As a result, this issue is not strictly archaeological, historical, or focused on any one time period. The articles draw on literary studies, archaeometric techniques, and critiques of mainstream historiography in addition to more traditional historical and archaeological methodologies. It might be better thought of as a showcase of scholarship ranging chronologically from the Mumun, Iron Age, and Proto-Three Kingdoms to the Three Kingdoms periods of Korea, all under the interdisciplinary heading of "Early Korea." Although the contributors cover a variety of different topics and time periods, several coherent themes emerge from their collective work, discussed below. We hope that by providing a frame through which to think through these broader issues, scholars working elsewhere in East Asia will find value in these articles. [End Page 2] Deconstructing Geonationalism and Redrawing Boundaries Investigation of the colonial origins and nationalistic biases that underpin much of the foundational work in Korean archaeology and history has been undertaken both inside and outside of Korean academia. While Hyung Il Pai's (2000) study remains one of the most significant critiques of such biases published in English, it has recently been joined by other sophisticated works by Stella Xu (2016) and Yi Sŏngju (2017). Rather than repeating their criticisms, several of the contributors published in this special issue highlight equally pervasive aspects of geonationalism inherent to Korean, Japanese, and Western scholarship of early Korea (Lee 2014). They examine hegemonic textual interpretations and commonly understood regionalisms that presuppose cultural unity within the peninsula and thus constrain our understanding of local cultural dynamics. This is one of a number of new directions being pursued by archaeologists and historians in Korea (for further reflections on archaeological practice, consult recent issues of the premier Korean archaeological journal, Han'guk Kogo Hakpo 韓國考古學報). Dennis Lee challenges the traditional and textually-derived understanding of Paekche's control of the southern peninsula in the fourth century. He redraws Paekche's southern boundaries through a critical appraisal of the problematic Jingū narrative of the Nihon shoki. Rather than following the "Yamato" or "Paekche" invasion interpretations of previous scholars, Lee suggests that a close reading of the Jingū passage itself entirely refutes the idea of an invasion. Furthermore, the material culture of the supposedly conquered Yŏngsan River Basin region actually points to a culturally independent group largely absent from the historical record. Similarly, Hari Blackmore deconstructs the Chungdo cultural sphere idea that has pervaded scholarship of the Iron Age archaeology of Central Korea. He argues that the monolithic archaeological cultures usually assigned to Mahan and Ye do not reflect the true complexity of the material in both regions and need to be reevaluated. Jack Davey, Lauren Glover, and J. M. Kenoyer push back against assumptions of "Korea" as a unit of analysis by situating the peninsula in a larger Asian context...

The magic of improbable appendages: Deer antler objects in the archaeological record of the American South

In the American South white-tailed deer remains are recovered in abundance from late prehistoric archaeological sites and have been used to identify numerous social and cultural phenomena including status based differences in food consumption, feasting, inter-site transport of foodstuffs, and regional variation in subsistence strategies. Meat, marrow, bone, antler, and hide were important physical contributions of deer to the daily lives of southeastern native peoples. However, deer also play(ed) an important role in self-identity and social structure (Deer clan). In this paper we bring together multiple lines of evidence to offer a nuanced interpretation of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) antler objects recovered from Native American archaeological sites in the pre-European Southeastern United States in the traditional homelands of the Cherokees of the American South. We review the importance of the culturally appropriate interactions with deer as taught in deer hunting lore and taboos recorded in ethnographic and ethnohistoric sources. With this understanding, we then identify the material manifestations of deer hunting amulets from several archaeological sites in our study area. Ultimately our study of antler objects shows that combining indigenous knowledge with material studies gives us new insights into how humans perceived and interacted with the animals that lived in their shared environment, and fosters new interpretations of material culture.

The Fishtail Knife Amulet UC14892/2 in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, University College London

Introduction Interpretations of material culture remains are constantly revised in the social sciences, in line with the changing theories of human behaviour. Archaeologists have a duty to show more consideration to the fact that artefacts are invested of meaning through complex social interactions. Meaning is shaped by social actions; objects change through their existence and ‘...they often have the capability of accumulating histories so that the present significance of an object derives from the persons and events to which it is connected...’ (Godsen and Marshall 1999: 170). Realistically, within the wide unpredictability of human behaviour, there has not been a convincing single theory able to explain the links between a society and its objects. The life-history approach of Tringham (1994) is considered, however, a classical attempt to investigate and explain these processes. Objects of the past have been shown to be neither passive nor made of inert material. It is with social interactions, involving people and objects, that meaning is created. Only with the incorporation of archaeological data with textual and ethnoarchaeological records can we add further observations for satisfactory explanations of artefacts. Amongst the material collected by Sir Flinders Petrie, there is a remarkable collection of amulets, votive objects and personal ornaments of magico-religious significance. A large number of the artefacts of this collection are, not surprisingly, without a satisfactory interpretation of their function. The subject of these notes is a curious example of one of these ritual objects: the mud amulet UC14892/2, an imitation in alluvial mud of a flint, so-called ‘fishtail knife’. The reader is invited to visit the catalogue of the Petrie Museum at http://petriecat.museums.ucl.ac.uk/ for pictures and a summary description of this type of artefact.

Tutankhamun: The Mystery of the Boy King (review)

Reviewed by: Tutankhamun: The Mystery of the Boy King Elizabeth Bush Hawass, Zahi Tutankhamun: The Mystery of the Boy King. National Geographic, 200564p illus. with photographs Library ed. ISBN 0-7922-8355-4$27.90 Trade ed. ISBN 0-7922-8354-6$17.95 R Gr. 4-8 If the latest exhibition of King Tut's treasures is coming soon to a museum near you, or if the hype has already arrived, it's time to update the 932 shelf. Hawass, whose position as head of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities lends authority to this title, again proves himself to be an excellent communicator with the grade-school set. (See also Curse of the Pharaohs, BCCB 7/04.) After a brief review of Howard Carter's 1922 discovery, which includes discussion of the role of the Egyptian Abdou el-Rassoul family in the work at the Valley of the Kings, Hawass turns historical background on the political and religious turmoil that preceded [End Page 94] Tutankhamun's reign, the boy king's probable lineage, a reconstruction of his life based largely on interpretation of material culture, and finally, death, burial, and dynastic legacy. Photo illustrations range from clear and serviceable to stunning (particularly a lifelike bust recreated from CT scan data), and coverage is up to date, with 2005 examination results that shed new light on the perpetually fascinating death debate: "Tutankhamun was not murdered by a blow to the head. There is no evidence anywhere on his mummy of foul play. This does not mean for sure he was not murdered, but if he was, his mummy cannot tell us." Since Hawass is not just an observer of, but a participant in, King Tut research, readers could hardly ask for a more knowledgeable and engaging guide. Index, annotated guide for further reading, and a timeline of Egyptian historic periods are included. Copyright © 2005 The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Habitations, camps et territoires des Inuit de la région de Kangiqsujuaq-Salluit, Nunavik

Des interventions ethnoarchéologiques ont été réalisées au Nunavik (Québec arctique) en collaboration avec les Inuit de Kangiqsujuaq et de Salluit entre 1985 et 1995. Des zones écologiques d'abondance variée ont été explorées: rives de riches estuaires ou de baies, côte et îles maritimes, proximité de grands lacs et rivières ainsi que les hautes terres les plus pauvres de l'arrière-pays où se chevauchent partiellement les territoires des deux communautés. La première partie de cet article présente un bref survol ethnohistorique, suivi d'une synthèse interprétative basée sur les résultats d'un examen de sources publiées et de données tirées d'entrevues ethnographiques réalisées par l'auteur pour dépeindre les liens entre habitation, campement, territoire, toponymie et culture des Inuit. Dans la seconde partie, le traitement cartésien des données archéologiques sert à estimer la densité de la population, l'intensité de l'occupation humaine et l'utilisation des ressources, en insistant sur les contrastes remarquables entre la côte et l'arrière-pays. Cet exercice tend à démontrer qu'il est indispensable d'intégrer les savoirs traditionnels à toutes les étapes de la recherche archéologique, de la planification des études en passant par la collecte, l'analyse et l'interprétation des vestiges matériels envisagées à différentes échelles spatiales: structures, sites, secteurs et région.

Landscapes of the Ghost Dance: A Cartography of Numic Ritual

Recent historical and ethnographic research indicates that the study of ritual behavior could be greatly enhanced by combining parameters of place and landscape use with interpretation of material culture. This strategy is especially useful for identifying the archaeological record of ritual among societies that incorporated topographic features and natural resources into their liturgical order. In this article we apply a behavioral framework to the study of Numic ritual technologies. By intergrating ethnographic and historic data on the geography, practice, and material culture of the nineteenth-century Nevada Ghost Dance, we demonstrate how this framework helps to determine the configuration of a ritual place and its position relative to other ritual and nonritual places.

Notes on the Life History of a Pot Sherd

This article discusses various life history approaches in archaeology: short life histories study the lives of things in the past (until they end up in the ground), long life histories study these lives going on until the present. Both approaches share the assumption that although people are free to give to a thing any meaning they want, their material essence necessarily remains unchanged. As an alternative, I present an ethnographic approach, studying the ‘life’ of a pot sherd on an excavation project. All the thing’s properties and characteristics, including its material identity and age, are taken to be the outcome of processes taking place in the present. The data presented shows in some detail how ‘momentary, fluid and flexible’ archaeological classifications and interpretations of material culture are. It emerges that the material identities ascribed to things are not their essential properties but the result of specific relationships of people and things: their very materiality is potentially multiple and has a history.

Material Culture and Cultural Meanings: Current Studies of Archaeological Ceramics and in Ce­ramic Ethnoarchaeology

Pottery and People: A Dynamic Interaction. James M. Skibo and Gary M. Feinman (editors). Founda­tions of Archaeological Inquiry. Salt Lake City. University of Utah Press. 1999. 260 pp. 91 figures. 30 tables. ISBN 0-87480-576-7. $55.00 (cloth); 0-87489-577-5. $25.00 (paperback). Material Meanings: Critical Approaches to the Interpretation of Material Culture. Elizabeth S. Chilton (editor). Foundations of Archaeological Inquiry. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. 1999.179pp. 35 figures. 11 tables. ISBN 0-87480-632-1. $55.00 (cloth); 087480-633-X. $35.00 (paperback). The description and interpretation of material culture may be regarded as the essence of archaeology, a discipline that seeks to recover, describe, document, and interpret past human culture. More recently, understanding that actions occur in a material world that is constituted symbolically, archaeological explanations are often framed in sociocultural meanings, the analysis of agencies, practices and behaviors. I shall subsequently return to this issue. Because of their longevity in the archaeological record, lithic and ceramic artifacts are crucial to the endeavor to interpret human culture. Objects fashioned from clay and subjected to intentional artificial sources of heat made their initial appearance in the archaeological record more than 26.000 years ago. Ceramic objects have been created in a seemingly endless variety of shapes and forms, varying from fertility figurines. to cooking and food storage vessels. lamps, smoking pipes, medicinal pastilles, tokens, beehives, and coffins to modern whitewares and pyroceramics.

On Christianzation and Grave-Finds

There are hardly any written sources on Christianization in southwestern RGermay during early Medieval times. From its beginning in the nineteenth century, archaeological research was concerned, with the question of whether the interpretation of material culture is helpful in the study of Christianization. This article first deals With the history of research. It focuses on the question, of how the main archaeological sources of Merovingian times the Reihengrberfelderwere interpreted in terms of Christianization. Obviously several aspects were and still are the main fus of research: special objects with Christian symbols (brooches, bet buckles or the so-caled Goldblattkreuze) are often vaguely interpreted as syrnbols of early Christianity or in some cases as a sign for the buried person being Christian. This results in the process of Christianization being dated to the seventh century. These explanations are influenced by a direct social-historical interpretation of the Reihengraberfelder. They are strong...

On Christianization and Grave-Finds

There are hardly any written sources on Christianization in southwestern Germany during early Medieval times. From its beginning in the nineteenth century, archaeological research was concerned with the question of whether the interpretation of material culture is helpful in the study of Christianization. This article first deals with the history of research. It focuses on the question of how the main archaeological sources of Merovingian times – the Reihengräberfelder – were interpreted in terms of Christianization. Obviously several aspects were and still are the main focus of research: special objects with Christian symbols (brooches, belt buckles or the so-called Goldblattkreuze) are often vaguely interpreted as symbols of early Christianity or in some cases as a sign for the buried person being Christian. This results in the process of Christianization being dated to the seventh century. These explanations are influenced by a direct social-historical interpretation of the Reihengräberfelder. They are strongly influenced by the results of historical research. A basic discussion about the character and the significance of objects from graves in the context of debates about Christianization has not yet taken place. Thus, in the second part of the article, questions derived from contextual archaeology are raised which may enrich the discussion about the interpretation of Christianization on the basis of graves: what importance may objects with Christian symbols have, if considered in the context of their ritual deposition and their associated finds? Do the Medieval graves provide information about the world of the living at all? Or how is ideology manifested within them? Is it at all, therefore, possible to describe them as testimonies of a process of Christianization? The use of carefully chosen sociological, ethnographical or historical analogies is crucial for the future development of the discussion. Furthermore, it is important to view the topic from the perspective of two analogies: analogies of the archaeological context as well as of processes of Christianization.

Social relations and material culture: A critique of the archaeology of plantation slavery

suggestions for enhancing the theoretical underpinnings of archaeological work. First, a look at the use of cultural markers points up the need for a more sophisticated approach to the issue of culture change. Next is an exploration of the ways in which interpretations of material culture can be enriched through a more dynamic understanding of context. Finally, the usefulness of status definitions for modeling plantation social relations is assessed. To begin, a discussion of the relation between historical archaeology and the discipline of history brings out a curious fact: most archaeologists’ notions about the purpose of history have hindered the participation of historical archaeology in some of the most interesting debates in the historiography of American slavery, centering on the meaning of slave culture. Social Relations and Material Culture: A Critique

Exhibiting material culture: Some thoughts on interpretation and legitimacy

Many scholars today, including some of the most influential, would argue that the effort to understand cultural operation in society, our own or that of others, is passé as an intellectual challenge. The significance of cultural operation is in the eye of the beholder, and the beholder will see what he is shown, interpreting it in the light of his own experience. Attention then focuses upon two processes: the mode of representation or favoured interpretation, and the transmission of the message, together with the projected judgements of the beholder. In museums, we have our material collections, which await interpretation. They are the content of the message, and exhibitions are the messages' transmitters. The interpretation of material culture and its transmission through displays are peculiarly the business of museum curators, and this paper intends, by analysing the exhibitions of Inuit/Eskimo art and culture which have been shown in Britain since 1970, to explore some of the ways of thinking which underlie this activity.