Summary: The Fundamental Importance Of Context In Archaeology
The fundamental importance of Context in the Archaeology of the Intangibles
By Rebecca Lee
Culture history in archaeology involves the study of artifacts and objects that articulate the background of past human culture. It is imperative to understand the context of space and time in these artifacts and objects, as they tell stories of the human past with no written records accompanied with them. An intangible factor in archaeology, culture is derived through the study of the artifacts and objects from the past such as ceramics, pottery, ancient tombs or even rock art, across the changing historical landscape. Some material remains allow archaeologists to gather information regarding past humans’ lifeways, like how communities and settlements …show more content…
There are common geometric shapes, also known as ‘form constants’ or ‘phosphenes’, visualises as entopic forms, seen by individuals during altered states of consciousness and originating from the structure of the optic system. Common entopic involves grids, parallel lines, dots and circles etc. In the later events of a trance, individuals saw more elaborated forms of shapes that combines both human and animal designs, and also a combination of animal and geometric patterns (Aaron M. Wright 2011). Individuals who went through this altered state of consciousness experienced these entopic forms during religious and ritual …show more content…
Even the smallest of artifact has context in archaeology that reflects the practice of human activities, especially when there are no written records as evidence to support the claim. Ancient monuments such as the Neolithic Enclosures carry context that allow archaeologists to discover what past humans did; the context in Hohokam rock art painted a series of petroglyphs that depicted a scene during a trance; pottery in context gave archaeologists an idea of past human diet and their lifeways in a settlement. When there is no written claim to support a hypothesis on past human culture, context is vital in interpreting the archaeology of the intangibles. By using the relevant dating methods, background information prior to the excavation of the site, and appropriate research design for the excavation, archaeologists are able to infer from it and find out the context of the historical object or site.
Conclusion
Context is of fundamental importance when studying the archaeology of the intangibles, especially when there is no textual evidence to accompany the artifact. Through the detailed study of context in artifacts or monuments, archaeologists are able to analyse and interpret the culture, ranging from rituals to subsistence practices, and define the background of past human activities to support further excavation
By Rebecca Lee
Culture history in archaeology involves the study of artifacts and objects that articulate the background of past human culture. It is imperative to understand the context of space and time in these artifacts and objects, as they tell stories of the human past with no written records accompanied with them. An intangible factor in archaeology, culture is derived through the study of the artifacts and objects from the past such as ceramics, pottery, ancient tombs or even rock art, across the changing historical landscape. Some material remains allow archaeologists to gather information regarding past humans’ lifeways, like how communities and settlements …show more content…
There are common geometric shapes, also known as ‘form constants’ or ‘phosphenes’, visualises as entopic forms, seen by individuals during altered states of consciousness and originating from the structure of the optic system. Common entopic involves grids, parallel lines, dots and circles etc. In the later events of a trance, individuals saw more elaborated forms of shapes that combines both human and animal designs, and also a combination of animal and geometric patterns (Aaron M. Wright 2011). Individuals who went through this altered state of consciousness experienced these entopic forms during religious and ritual …show more content…
Even the smallest of artifact has context in archaeology that reflects the practice of human activities, especially when there are no written records as evidence to support the claim. Ancient monuments such as the Neolithic Enclosures carry context that allow archaeologists to discover what past humans did; the context in Hohokam rock art painted a series of petroglyphs that depicted a scene during a trance; pottery in context gave archaeologists an idea of past human diet and their lifeways in a settlement. When there is no written claim to support a hypothesis on past human culture, context is vital in interpreting the archaeology of the intangibles. By using the relevant dating methods, background information prior to the excavation of the site, and appropriate research design for the excavation, archaeologists are able to infer from it and find out the context of the historical object or site.
Conclusion
Context is of fundamental importance when studying the archaeology of the intangibles, especially when there is no textual evidence to accompany the artifact. Through the detailed study of context in artifacts or monuments, archaeologists are able to analyse and interpret the culture, ranging from rituals to subsistence practices, and define the background of past human activities to support further excavation