CRITICISMS OF ETHNOGRAPHIC ANALOGY

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CRITICISMS OF ETHNOGRAPHIC ANALOGY

• Depresses Time and Denies Change
• The Problem of Equifinality
• Many paths to the same outcome
• Is the archaeological record frozen Behavior?
• Can we directly translate archaeological
  expressions into meaning social, political, or
  ritual patterns?
• Binfords definition of the archaeological record
  as static and contemporary. Translate statics
  into past dynamics

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Is the Archaeological record like Pompeii
ARCHAEOLOGISTS DECIDE TO EVALUATE THIS QUESTION
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SEVERAL METHOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO THE STUDY OF
THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN ARTIFACTS AND MEANINGFUL
CULTURAL BEHAVIOR

• RECORD FORMATION PROCESSES
• MID-RANGE THEORY
• ETHNOARCHAEOLOGY

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New archaeologists committed to anthropological
archaeology. But before you could address
questions about culturally meaningful behavior,
the nature of the archaeological record had to be
investigated
Heres the problem 1. The archaeological
record is composed of artifacts on the surface
and buried. Those artifacts are static,
meaning they dont interact. 2. New
archaeologists are interested in what people do
and how they do it ( thats active or dynamic).
The question is how to move from statics to
dynamics? 3. And before you do that you have
to consider whether the archaeological record has
changed over time.
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MICHAEL SCHIFFER
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RECORD FORMATION PROCESSES

• Several components to this model
• The systematic relationship between artifact
  acquisition, production, use , discard and the
  formation of the archaeological record. Schiffer
  wants to know the relationship between life
  histories of artifacts, the archaeological
  record, and cultural behavior
• B) Breaks culture down into a set of activities
  that transform material into something useful
  track the life histories of artifacts
• C) differentiates kinds of artifact
  contexts SYSTEMIC CONTEXT
• ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT

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ASSUMPTIONS THAT SCHIFFER MAKESTO CONSTRUCT
SYSTEMIC AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT

• CULTURE IS A SYSTEM ( HAVE YOU HEARD THAT
  BEFORE?)
• HUMAN ACTIVITY IS A TRANSFORMATION OF ENERGY THAT
  TYPICALLY INVOLVES ARTIFACTS
• ARE THERE OTHERS? WHAT ABOUT ARCHAEOLOGICAL LAWS?

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WHAT ARE RECORD FORMATION PROCESSES?WHEN DO
THEY OPERATE?WHY DO ARCHAEOLOGISTS STUDY
THEM?WHAT IS SCHIFFERS ULTIMATE GOAL? WHAT
DOES HE WANT TO RECONSTRUCT?
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MID-RANGE RESEARCHBinfords methology for
linkingStatics to Dynamics
Research with the Nunamiut at Anatuvak Pass
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What is Mid-Range Theory?ITS Not general Theory

• Because the archaeological record is
  contemporary, can not know the past directly. Can
  only know the past indirectly through static
  artifacts
• Required to make that linkage are observations,
  experiments, and analysis designed to link the
  present statics with past dynamics
• record formation
• ethnoarchaeology, experimental archaeology

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Questions regarding Mid-Range Theorybased on
the Binford article

• What are the goals of Binfords article
  Dimensional Analysis of Behavior and Site
  Structure?
• Does Binford build a model to address these
  goals? Or does he address through the analysis
  of a single place
• What are expedient artifacts? What are curated
  artifacts?
• Is Schiffers distinction between systemic and
  archaeological context relevant to this article?
  How
• What is the site function of the Mask site? Is
  there a relationship between site function and
  artifact deposition?
• Is Binfords approach to the relationship between
  cultural activity and artifact different than
  Schiffers? How?
• What does Binford want to explain?

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Culture Process General Systems Theory
The goal of Culture Process To create
explanations of culture change. THE CAUSES OF
CULTURE CHANGE Systems Theory (or General
Systems Theory) was the initial model that was
used to construct explanations. So we need to
ask what is system? And how is that definition
built into the structure of systems theory
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Systems Structure
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Definitions

• A System A bounded entity that is made up of
  component parts. The parts of interdependent.
  That means that the action of one component
  affects the action of another.
• All components of a system have boundary
  conditions. This means that each component has
  a range within which they operate Because all
  components have a range, the system itself has a
  range within which it can operate.
• Homeostasis maintenance of a system within its
  boundary conditions
• Postive feedback component deviations are
  amplified
• This can change the system
• Negative feedback Component deviations are
  depressed and system is maintained at the current
  or previous state

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SYSTEMS THEORY, MORE DEFINITIONS

• This definition of system is functional.
• Function as in each component solves a problem
• Function as in each component has a goal
• Keep the system running human adaptive system
• CULTURE AS A SYSTEM
• Components, many of which are not observable
  archaeologically
• Each of those components have goals and boundary
  conditions
• The system has goal---- human survival

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Archaeological Systems Theory Model
Outputs----Change
Culture T1
Inputs Environment Subsistence Settlement Populat
ion
Culture T2
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HOW DOES A CULTURAL SYSTEMS THEORY CAUSE CHANGE?

• System change caused by one or more components
  exceeding their boundary conditions ( positive
  feedback)
• But what throws a component out of equilibrium?
  New Archaeologists relied on external causes
• Climate change, population growth, resource
  depletion.

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Systems Theory in Mesoamerica
What is the role of Systems Theory in this
article? What are the causes of change from
hunting and gathering to agriculture? Why do
Mesoamerican macrobands become sedentary?
Kent Flannery
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Strengths of Systems Theory Explanations

• A major improvement over culture historical
  explanations of change invasion, independent
  invention, or diffusion
• Provided a framework for discussing new
  adaptation agriculture or the evolution of the
  state.

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Weaknesses of Systems Theory

• Causes of change were external (And
  Post-processualists really really disliked this
  aspect)
• System size and complexity required major
  events to result in change
• Description of how change occurs not why