Shaping archaeological theory in the new millennium: from the rise of relations to the challenge of posthumanism, Craig Cipolla and Oliver Harris
Date and Time
February 14, 2018
12:00PM - 01:00PM EST
Location
Tozzer 203, 21 Divinity Avenue
Abstract
The current shape of archaeological theory can often seem like a confusing and complex entanglement of various ideas and approaches, especially in comparison to the seemingly clear differences between the processual and postprocessual schools of thought. In this paper, we seek both to clarify this perspective and to identify the major trends that have shaped archaeological thought over the past 20 years. We suggest that the traditional language of paradigm shifts disguises a gradual transformation in archaeological approaches that cross-cuts the standard archaeological “paradigms.” We argue that this ongoing development in archaeological thought, until very recently, has been dominated by critiques of Cartesian dualisms and an increasing emphasis on relationality. From this historical reanalysis we suggest that current debates around posthumanism raise a series of important questions that call for critical evaluation and that pose a unique set of challenges to the discipline. We draw upon our distinct backgrounds to explore and compare how different aspects of posthumanism relate to our respective research areas.