Interpretation of material culture

Transcription

1 Interpretation of material culture

2 Archaeology as a discipline Humanities and social science Archaeology Shares objects of study (people and societies), research questions and some of the methods Nature science Uses some of the methods

3 Archaeology is an interpretative discipline Studies people and societies of the past through the prism of material remains these people left behind (objects, architecture, art, etc.) Interprets the past

4 Interpretation: searching for meaning Can we reach past meanings? Positivists: past can be known through application of scientific methods and hypothesis testing Relativists: past cannot be known, archaeological facts and interpretations are constructed by modern scholars Perspectivists: we can never be certain what things meant in the past but we experience true evidence of the past. We can come closer to the past. Meanings are multiple

5 Description (things we know) Function Shape Decoration Color Manufacturer Material Interpretation (things we can assume)

6 From description to interpretation Context: totality of relevant spatial and temporal dimensions around any given object - Archaeological context - Site context - Historical context

7 An example: importance of context Slaget vid Korsbetningen intill Visby 1361 pilspets "I Herrens år 1361 den 27 juli föllo framför Visby portar i danskarnas händer de här begravda gutarna: bed gör dem."

8 From description to interpretation Analogy: comparing to similar situation Already existing archaeological interpretation (similar context, similar time-period) Ethnoarchaeology Historical analogy

9 An example: use of analogy in archaeological interpretation

10 From description to interpretation Laboratory analysis: geological and mineral analysis paleobotany pollen analysis DNA-testing Strontium isotope testing CT scanning and many more

11 Otzi, the Iceman Isotopic bone analysis: Otzi was born in the Alps, spent his life in different valleys C14: Otzi lived ca BC Endoscopy: food he ate, parasites Hair analysis: high levels of copper and arsenic, Otzi was smelting copper CT scan: mobile lifestyle, wounds, possible cause of death DNA analysis of blood on his clothes and weapon: Otzi killed two individuals Osteaological analysis: man, 45 years old

12 From description to interpretation Perspective The way we choose to explain things depends on the theories and methods we use and questions we ask

13 Interpretation as a chain of questions and answers How old is it? Was it used as a tool? - No. It lacks damage and signs of wear years old What is it? - An axe How does it look like? - Beautiful work, well polished, symmetrical What is it made of? - Jade In what context was it found? - Ritual? Where was it found? - Canterbury, England Does jade occur in England? - No. It had to be brought from somewhere else (the Alps) - playepisode12

14 Things and texts: interpretation in historical archaeology Historical perspective: texts as primary source, archaeology used to complement written information Archaeological perspective: texts as secondary source, archaeology can provide more detailed information about the past Historical archaeological perspective (documentary archaeology): texts and archaeology equally important, analyzed with equal depth, different sources-different information

15 Historical archaeological perspective (documentary archaeology) 1) Texts and other sources can be co-related (abstract ideas from texts to material manifestation of these ideas) 2) Texts and other sources form context to understand each other s significance 3) Text and other sources stand in contrast to each other (3xK) Korrelation-kontext-kontrast

16 Historical archaeological perspective (documentary archaeology) Correlation Individualism and liberalism: social movements of the Age of Enlightment John Locke, American Declaration of Independence In archaeology: individual dishes, less large trays and platters, more smaller plates and cups.

17 Historical archaeological perspective Context: (documentary archaeology) Archbishop Jacob Erlandsson burried in 1274 in Franciscan church in Lund (Klosterkyrka) under lampan i koret The grave was excavated and analyzed: small coffin and deadly injury to head Set in each other s context: archbishop was murdered

18 Contrast: Historical archaeological perspective (documentary archaeology) Early and high middle ages Written sources: conflicts in the western part of the Baltic Sea, Slavic pirates, Danish crusades, slavary and captives Archaeology: common cultural traits, adoption of Slavic pottery in southern Scandinavia

19 Summary: interpretation of material culture 1) Chain of questions and answers in search of meaning 2) Starts from object s description and placing it in the contexts, proceeds with looking for analogies, conducting laboratory analysis. 3) Involves application of methods developed in the humanities and nature science