Archaeological Practice Research Articles

It’s Not Mitigation! Policy and Practice in Development-Led Archaeology in England

ABSTRACTIn 2010, a significant change was made to the policy for development-led archaeology in England. This paper considers how far the revised policy wording has been reflected in changes in archaeological practice. It concludes that, to a considerable degree, practice remains rooted in the terminology and concepts of the previous policy regime, which saw development-led work as ‘mitigation’ (or ‘preservation by record’) rather than as a form of offsetting, in which advances in understanding offset the loss of physical remains. Some suggestions for future improvements are offered.

Technologies and Narratives of Urban Archaeology at the Kelsey Museum

Urban Biographies, Ancient and Modern: Italy, Greece, Turkey, and the USA. Kelsey Museum of Archaeology, Ann Arbor, Michigan, 24 August 2018–6 January 2019, curated by Christopher Ratté with co-curators Lisa Nevett, Nicola Terrenato, Zoe Ortiz, and Kathy Velikov.The study of the city often feels as old as the city itself, and the historiography of urbanism, not only urban space, displays its own characteristic density and weight. It was thus welcome to find this small show at the Kelsey Museum, Urban Biographies, Ancient and Modern, trying something new. Rather than make yet another attempt to define the city, or to delineate urban commonalities over time, the main aim here was to present state-of-the-art technologies and methods used in the archaeological recovery of city life. The show further argued that similar methods can inform our understanding of modern urbanism. The exhibition started with three ancient sites: Gabii in central Italy, Notion on the coast of Turkey, and Olynthus in northern Greece. All three are locations of ongoing fieldwork sponsored by the University of Michigan and the Kelsey Museum, which was thus able to showcase its position as a leading academic institution for archaeological research in North America. The three sites were juxtaposed with contemporary Detroit, the large modern city near the museum and the University of Michigan's Ann Arbor campus. Both this comparison and the show's foregrounding of archaeological practices led to some interesting connections between past and present cities, while it also raised questions about how museums involved in cutting-edge archaeological research can best display their results in a gallery setting.

Surface Stone Artifact Scatters, Settlement Patterns, and New Methods for Stone Artifact Analysis

Movement and mobility are key properties in understanding what makes us human and so have been foci for archeological studies. Stone artifacts survive in many contexts, providing the potential for understanding landscape use in the past through studies of mobility and settlement pattern. We review the inferential basis for these studies based on archeological practice and anthropological understanding of hunter-gatherer bands. Rather than structured relationships among band size, composition, and mobility, anthropological studies suggest variability in how hunter-gatherer groups were organized. We consider how stone artifact studies may be used to investigate this variability by outlining a geometric approach to stone artifact analysis based on the Cortex Ratio. An archeological case study from Holocene semi-arid Australia allows consideration of the potential of this approach for understanding past landscape use from stone artifact assemblage composition more generally.

Human, Transhuman, Posthuman Digital Archaeologies: An Introduction

Current archaeological thought evokes a sparking Catherine wheel: spinning fireworks that detonate light, colour, and sound with every movement. These theoretical turns swirl alongside the ongoing development and adoption of scientific and digital techniques that have wide-ranging implications for archaeological practices and interpretations. Two particularly combustible developments are posthumanism and the ontological turn, which emerged within the broader humanities and social sciences. Posthumanism rejects human exceptionalism and seeks to de-centre humans in archaeological discourse and practice. Linked to this is the so-called ‘ontological turn’ (aka the ‘material turn’), a shift away from framing archaeological research within a Western ontology and a movement beyond representationalism (i.e. focusing on things themselves rather than assuming that objects represent something else).

Evaluating claims for an early peopling of the Americas: experimental design and the Cerutti Mastodon site

Abstract

Construction of the racialised and colonised other: global comparatives in imperial and colonial archaeology

Whereas Sarr and Savoy (2018) focus on artefacts taken from various African countries after 1885, Incidental archaeologists, considers “the first four decades of the French conquest and pacification of Algeria under the authority of the French military Government General” (p. 24). Throughout the volume, Effros presents a convincing argument in which the social history of military infrastructure lays the groundwork for the future of the French civilising mission. She is clear about the magnitude of the task that the book is engaged in; it provides links between early French archaeologists and epigraphers and their place within the development of the disciplines. It also considers the ways by which romanticised narratives, created by French officers, about the classical archaeology of Algeria led to irresponsible destruction of antiquity, violence against local resistant populations and classifications that became constitutive of colonial archaeological interest and practice.

The Past Is a Divided Country: Transforming Archaeology in South Africa

This article examines the political and institutional dimensions of archaeological practice in South Africa during the apartheid era and since the transition to democratic rule in 1994. We focus on the archaeological practices within institutional structures—the universities, heritage agencies, and museums. We examine the roles these institutions played in either perpetuating or challenging the disconnection between archaeological heritage and descendent communities prior to 1994, and whether the political changes that occurred since the end of apartheid have succeeded in creating an inclusive archaeological practice in South Africa. The Transformation Charter, adopted in 2008 by the Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA), requires that all those working in the field of archaeology in South Africa practice a form of archaeology that is “rooted in social awareness and social engagement” and aims to be “socially responsible.” We examine the extent to which progress has been made towards achieving those objectives.

Avatars, Monsters, and Machines: A Cyborg Archaeology

As digital practice in archaeology becomes pervasive and increasingly invisible, I argue that there is a deep creative potential in practising a cyborg archaeology. A cyborg archaeology draws from feminist posthumanism to transgress bounded constructions of past people as well as our current selves. By using embodied technologies to disturb archaeological interpretations, we can push the use of digital media in archaeology beyond traditional, skeuomorphic reproductions of previous methods to highlight ruptures in thought and practice. I develop this argument through investigating the avatars, machines, and monsters in current digital archaeological research. These concepts are productively liminal: avatars, machines, and monsters blur boundaries between humans and non-humans, the past and the present, and suggest productive approaches to future research.

UAV SURVEY FOR THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL MAP OF LILYBAEUM (MARSALA, ITALY)

Abstract. Collecting information and mapping are fundamental aspects of systematic archaeological excavation, documentation and interpretation. The process of recording physical evidence is the first step in the archaeological study with the goal to derive spatial and semantic information from the gathered and available data. Archaeological reports always include 2D maps, sections, data distribution and other spatial data. Indeed, the representation is inseparable from the archaeological practice, but this is undoubtedly a time-consuming activity. Nowadays, archaeologists can take advantages of various recording techniques to produce highly accurate 3D models and ortho-images of archaeological sites. Far from replacing the more traditional techniques, the development of new geomatics techniques tries to answer, in a more efficient way, to the needs of archaeological research. The use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) has become more popular in archaeological excavations. In particular, UAV systems become a useful, versatile and cost-effective approach to record large archaeological areas in order to measure and completely document them. They are the fastest way to produce high-resolution 3D models of entire sites and allow archaeologists to collect accurate spatial data that can be used for spatial analyses using GIS platform. The paper presents the results of several UAV surveys of the archaeological remains of Lilybaeum, the ancient city of Marsala (Southern Italy), performed in the Archaeological Park of “Lilibeo”. The UAV acquisitions were planned and carried out to complete the previous traditional documentation of the site. Very detailed 3D models and high-resolution ortho-images, together with some new field campaigns, have been used for new analysis and documentation of the site and for the realization of the archaeological map of Lilybaeum.

Archaeology and New Religious Movements

The practice of archaeology—the study of material evidence of past human activities—is not in alignment with the human drive to understand relics of the material past as touchstones of mythic origins and evidence of the sacred. New and alternative religious movements, political movements, and popular culture use archaeological artifacts and monuments as slates on which to inscribe stories of supernatural ancestors, advanced civilizations and races, and lost ancient wisdom that justify critiquing or displacing existing religious and cultural structures and knowledge. The rhetorical power of these metaphorical (and sometimes literal) texts derives from the symbolic capital of the practice and profession of archaeology even as the content and form of these texts is in conflict with archaeology. The articles in this special issue of Nova Religio examine how archaeology is used to create new sacred meanings and narratives, and how archaeologists need to engage with persons attributing these alternative meanings to archaeological artifacts.

Building Scholars and Communities of Practice in Digital Heritage and Archaeology

AbstractAs the role of digital methods in heritage and archaeology has increased in prominence, so has the question of capacity and community building. Who should receive training in digital methods? How should training take place? What concepts, platforms, technologies should be taught? These are relevant questions requiring careful planning and thoughtful implementation; yet beyond these questions, there is an issue of even greater importance: the planned development of communities of practice. The teaching of digital methods has a greater chance of success if it takes place in an ecosystem of scholars who are connected to one another through shared perspectives on those methods. This article presents and discusses the details of a model developed at Michigan State University that speaks to teaching digital archaeology and heritage methods, and to the development of communities of practice in which those methods are shared and relevant. The model is driven and informed by the activities of three projects: the National Endowment for the Humanities-funded Institute on Digital Archaeology Method & Practice, the Cultural Heritage Informatics Graduate Fellowship Program, and the Department of Anthropology Digital Cultural Heritage Fieldschool.

Origins of Archaeology in the Pacific: The Emergence and Application of Archaeological Field Techniques

ABSTRACT When was archaeology first practised in the Pacific as a distinct discipline – that is, following a prescribed set of field methods to investigate human change over time, different from those used for other areas such as ethnology, geology, or linguistics? Did Pacific archaeology develop as the application of a metropolitan model, or did it evolve in situ, progressing in fits and starts and communicated only sporadically? We approach these questions by exploring the nature of early archaeological practice in the Pacific from the 1870s to the 1900s, as it was imagined in metropolitan manuals and instructions issued by German and British institutions, and comparing this with the development of actual practices in the field. We also discuss how early archaeological excavations and artefacts (prehistoric material culture) from the Pacific were interpreted, in prescription and in practice, and consider how these interpretations related to European perceptions of Pacific peoples.

Island Networks and Missionary Methods: Locating Charles E. Fox and Frederick G. Bowie in the History of Pacific Archaeology

ABSTRACT ‘Missionary’ and ‘archaeology’ may appear incongruous partners within contemporary archaeological practice, but archival, museum and oral sources reveal historical connections. This paper explores two missionaries, active in the western Pacific from 1896 to 1973. Reverends Charles Elliot Fox (Melanesian Mission, Solomon Islands) and Frederick Gatherer Bowie (Free Church of Scotland Mission, Vanuatu) both conducted studies related to the prehistory and migration of Pacific people. Both produced material assemblages, as well as textual and visual documents, and formed ideas influenced by their own networks and self identities. The paper examines their data collection methods and relationships with others, considering particularly how their relationships with Pacific Islanders and with psychologist and ethnologist W.H.R. Rivers influenced the missionary research process. By understanding these aspects of their work, Fox and Bowie can be placed within a broader genealogy of Anglophone missionary archaeology dating back to the late 18th century.

From rubbish to cultural identity; Making archaeology relevant for the contemporary community

Archaeological relevance for the present has become an important issue in the world of archaeology. This paper aims to examine how the biography of artefacts of pottery fragments from the old Banten site, the site Banten sultanate of the sixteenth century AD became a marker of the cultural identity of the Banten people today. These pottery fragments were studied using Michael Thompson's rubbish (1979) theory which observes how the value of objects shifts from transient to rubbish to durable. Using the rubbish theory, archaeological practices that have only been aimed at scientific purposes can be useful for the people of Banten today. This paper will also discuss how people who have been ignored become an important part of archaeological practice and how archaeology can have an economic impact on today's society.

Communicating Cultural Heritage Resources to the Public: Experiences from the Makonde of Mtwara Region, Tanzania.

Communicating cultural heritage to the public has gained popularity in many African countries and the world at large. However,little efforts have been done to promote the practice of public archaeology in Tanzania. The main reason is the dominance of conventional archaeology which is mainly meant for academic consumption. In this kind of practice, the participation of local communities has been passive. This paper explores local communities’ understanding of cultural heritage resources focusing on local communities in the Mtwara Region of Tanzania. The results of this study reveal that little effort has been made by archaeologists and cultural heritage professionals to create awareness among local communities on matters related to archaeology and cultural heritage resources. Apart from discussing the state of local communities’ awareness on archaeology and cultural heritage resources, the paper also discusses the importance of communicating cultural heritage resources to the general public and the need to engage local communities in the conservation and preservation of cultural heritage resources.

Archaeology, assistance, and aggression along the Euphrates: reflections from Raqqa

ABSTRACTThis paper traces the cultural missions and salvage archaeology programs along the Euphrates River around Raqqa from the 1950s onwards. We suggest that the varied investments from international expeditions, conservation programs, and technical assistance in Syria have an important, untold history that is relevant to recent developments and conflicts in northern Syria. We explore the intersecting practices of archaeology and assistance, illuminated by archives drawn from international agencies such as UNESCO, as well as companies, consultants, bureaucrats, and archaeologists. Our focus is upon foreign intervention around imperiled heritage, considering not only internal politics but also UNESCO’s 1960s shift from fully funded campaigns to global appeals reliant on foreign governments, corporations, and universities. The outsourcing of salvage allowed specific patrons – national and international – to privilege particular pasts; and it is these histories and legacies that further require us to reassess the place of Raqqa in the current civil war.

Bioarchaeological Evidence for Social Maturation in the Mortuary Ritual of Ipiutak and Tigara Hunter-Gatherers: Lifespan Perspectives on the Emergence of Personhood at Point Hope, Alaska

Identity is a concept that shifts over the lifespan in association with relational interactions. This study documents and interprets the cultural systems influencing shifts in identity during maturation in hunter-gatherers from Point Hope, Alaska through archaeological mortuary practices. Grave goods, body position, body orientation, and burial depth (underground versus surface) were recorded for Ipiutak (1500–1100 BP) and Tigara (800–400 BP) cultures. Age was estimated using tooth formation. No age differences in burial depth were found, likely reflecting environmental constraints. Changes in body orientation, body position, and grave-good allocation were found between three and four years with another increase in grave-good allocation after age six. A larger age range of individuals without grave goods was found at Tigara. Changes in bodily orientation and position likely reflect beliefs surrounding the soul. The initial presence of animal implements may represent gifting of amulets, while increases in these items at later ages indicate continued maturation. Differences in the age ranges of individuals without animal implements between the two sites may reflect stronger delineations of social prestige at Ipiutak. These findings hint at the complex relational pathways associated with the formation of identity in prehistoric hunter-gatherer communities.

Archaeologies in Antarctica from Nostalgia to Capitalism: A Review

Epic accounts of polar explorations have dominated the narratives of Antarctica’s past and contributed to a prevailing image of distant wilderness untouched by humans. Archaeological studies have been undertaken from different theoretical and practical perspectives that have helped to either question or reinforce the dominant narratives of Antarctic history. Archaeology began in the late 1970s, focusing on conserving the huts left behind by the expeditions of the Heroic Era of Antarctic Exploration. Since the 1980s archaeological research in the South Shetland Islands region has been focused on diverse topics, including sealing/whaling expeditions. This study presents a historical overview of archaeological work in Antarctica through a chronological approach that describes previous research conducted at the sites of polar expeditions. It also discusses how archaeological practices have contributed to the complex heritage-making process in Antarctica.

Central Place Theory Reloaded and Revised: Political Economy and Landscape Dynamics in the Longue Durée

The aim of this contribution is to introduce the topic of this volume and briefly measure the evolution and applicability of central place theory in previous and contemporary archaeological practice and thought [...]

Middle Atlantic Prehistory: Foundations and Practice, by Heather A. Wholey and Carole L. Nash

<i>Middle Atlantic Prehistory: Foundations and Practice</i>, by Heather A. Wholey and Carole L. Nash