Journal of Contemporary Archaeology· 2015Q3
Archaeology and the New Materialisms
- 191citations
- Q3SCImago
- 2015year
Short summary
Archaeology, viewed through the lens of New Materialisms, should redefine itself not as the study of the human past via material remains, but as the discipline of things themselves, embracing an 'ecology of practices' with care and wonder.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Key points
- New Materialisms propose viewing things as assemblages, participants, and distinct entities.
- This perspective challenges archaeology's traditional definition as the study of the human past through material remains.
- The article advocates for archaeology to become the 'discipline of things' and an 'ecology of practices'.
- This new approach emphasizes care and wonder when engaging with the material world.
AI-generated from the title and abstract; the full text is not read.
Abstract
This article revisits the object of archaeology in light of the New Materialisms. Orienting recent work around three propositions with respect to the reality and definition of things—that is, things are assemblages, things are participants, and things are things—it lays out the core features of the New Materialisms and goes on to address some compelling methodological issues. Ultimately, this article raises a challenge; that New Materialist perspectives reveal a self-definition for archaeology, not as the study of the human past through its material remains, but as the discipline of things, as an “ecology of practices” that approaches the world with care and in wonder.
The authors' abstract, as published at the source. Journal of Contemporary Archaeology, 2015 · DOI ↗
Continue with a free account
Ask the paper: 3 free questions a day about this paper; save it, get its citation, new summaries every day for your field. Takeaways are Premium.
Continue free on the webSign in with Google or Apple; no card needed. You come back to this paper.
On your phone:
Field: Museology
MuseologyArts and Humanities