Questions and Answers
What is Processual Archaeology?
What does Processual Archaeology focus on?
Behaviour, not ideas
Processual Archaeology believes it is completely objective.
False
Which of the following was traditionally a focus of Processual Archaeology?
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Who is associated with the idea that all people project the present onto the past?
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What is one characteristic of Post-Processual Archaeology?
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Middle-Range Research began in 1970 to develop transformation theories.
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Cultural Ecology is the study of human adaptations to ____ and ____ environments.
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Match the following terms with their definitions:
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What are the three subsystems of culture in Processual Archaeology?
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What does Good Theory do?
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Study Notes
Processual Archaeology
- Defined as a scientific approach to archaeology, prioritizing objectivity and generalization, often involving prehistoric cultures.
- Focuses on the explanation and understanding of cultural processes rather than emphasizing ideas or beliefs.
- Traditionally utilizes a deductive scientific method, now also integrating inductive methods for broader insight.
- Maintains a materialist, external perspective that examines cultures in relation to their environmental contexts.
- Centers on behavior as an adaptation for survival, viewing cultural practices through the lens of efficiency and problem-solving.
- Considers culture as a rational adaptation to natural conditions, influenced by scholars like Lewis Binford and Leslie White.
- Asserts the existence of three subsystems of culture: technological, sociological, and ideological, structured in an interdependent manner.
Trading Systems
- Materialist perspective views trading as a means of establishing social ties, focusing on the act rather than specific items exchanged.
- Idealist perspective suggests trading may also serve aesthetic or personal preferences, lacking functional necessity.
Cultural Systems
- Describes culture as a system where technological, sociological, and ideological components interact, often with one influencing another.
- Views human behaviors as largely dictated by environmental and social factors, although some flexibility exists for individual agency.
Post-Processual Archaeology
- Advocates for a humanistic, historical approach to archaeology, emphasizing cultural particulars and relativism.
- Key figures include Mark P. Leone, James Deetz, and Ian Hodder, who reject strict objectivity and acknowledge the subjective nature of interpretation.
- Rejects universal scientific methods in favor of alternative methods such as hermeneutics, which focus on understanding cultures through their contexts.
- Suggests interpretations of archaeological data should evolve through continual reassessment rather than rigid hypotheses.
- Sees culture as a fluid construct, influenced by individual actions and goals despite technological and environmental stability.
Cultural Theory
- Explains the significance of theories, distinguishing between good theories that predict and simplify complex phenomena, and various classes of lower-, middle-, and higher-range theories.
- Highlights that lower-range theories concern chronology, while middle-range theories deal with cultural systems and higher-range theories explain cultural processes.
Cultural Ecology
- Focuses on how human societies adapt to both social and physical environments, introducing technology and environmental interactions as factors shaping social structures.
- Coined by Julian Steward, cultural ecology investigates broader questions about the development and evolution of civilizations.
Methodologies
- Middle-range research aims to create transformation theories that contextualize artifacts to understand past human behavior.
- Experimental archaeology recreates ancient technologies to explore practical methods used historically.
- Ethnoarchaeology studies living communities to draw parallels with archaeological finds, enhancing the understanding of material remains.
Epistemology
- Concerned with the study of knowledge, including the methods through which archaeological facts and interpretations are constructed.
These outlines encapsulate major concepts, approaches, and methodologies in both processual and post-processual archaeology, facilitating a comprehensive understanding of the theories and their application in the field.
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Test your knowledge on key terms and theories in Processual and Post-Processual Archaeology with these flashcards. Each card presents a term along with its definition, helping you understand the scientific approach in archaeology and the concept of objectivity vs. bias. Ideal for students and enthusiasts alike.
