New Archaeology (1962 –

1. New Archaeology (1962 – • Lewis R. Binford • change the way archaeologists think and do archaeology. • Strong critiques of the culture history paradigm

2. GOALS OF THE NEW ARCHAEOLOGY • Archaeology must address Anthropological questions--- past life ways, subsistence, causes of culture change • New definition of culture: “ The human AdaptiveSystem “ A. emphasizes cultural ecology…. Similarities in cultural expressions due to similar adjustments “SYSTEMS THEORY”: THE CLEAREST EXAMPLE OF CULTURE AS A SYSTEM (ANALOGOUS SIMILARITIES--- Dunnell’s description of similarities due to common adjustments) B. culture as a system in which parts work together to keep people alive . IS THIS A FUNCTIONAL DEFINITION OF CULTURE?

3. NEW ARCHAEOLOGY GOALS (CON’T) 3.Make archaeology a science. Definition of science: A. The goal of science is to explain ( answer why questions). B. Accomplish this through through a “deductive structure” in which the conclusion is subsumed within the premise. C. Most powerful explanations when the premise is ‘THEORY” OR “LAW”. BUT HYPOTHESES WILL WORK.

4. If A, then B where A is the premise and b is the outcome. Derived from a brand of philosophy known as LOGICAL POSITIVISM One form of LP is The covering law model QUESTION: ARE THERE LAWS IN ARCHAEOLOGY Ex: Law: Water boils at 212 C. If this this water is at 212C. It will boil. FORM OF HYPOTHESIS TESTING IN THE NA

5. GOALS OF NA (CON’T) • Focus on spatial variation rather than temporal variation…. Resulted in methodological discussion of spatial sampling and how that should be accomplished • Emphasis on Statistics

6. Dunnell’s Distinction of Materialism and Essentialism • Essentialism • The world is ordered. There are natural units or kinds • We discover that order in scientific research Materialism • There is no inherent organization to the world. • Rather the world is infinitely variable. • We impose order on the world for answering scientific questions

7. Materialism and Essentialism as Concepts for the Differences between Culture History and New Archaeology • New Archaeology • Materialist in the exploration and analysis of spatial variation. Big Question always : What’s the nature of the variability? • Essentialist in their treatment of time. Culture History Materialist in the construction of artifact types Essentialist in the their construction of TS charts and spatial variability

8. Kinds of Explanations: New Archaeology Ethnographic Analogy Artifacts as Use

9. Ethnographic Analogy is based on analogical Reasoning. Analogy is an inferential argument that is based on similarity of traits between a known (an analogue) and an unknown. The goal is to assign additional traits to an unknown based on the similarity of traits with a known The more traits that are shared between a known and unknown, the more that are likely to be shared Structure of Ethnographic Analogy

10. Unknown No Legs Slithers Slimy And therefore Painful Example of Analogical Reasoning Analogue No legs Slithers Slimy And Painful if attacked

11. Pueblo Dweller Kinship is Matrilineal Residence is Matrilocal Women make pottery Archaeology Settlement appears to be Pueblo Spatial Clustering of Ceramic design styles Why do Ceramic design styles cluster? Because: Structure of Ethnographic AnalogyEthnographic Descriptions are the analogueWant to explain

12. Pueblo Dweller Kinship is Matrilineal Residence is Matrilocal Women make pottery Archaeology Settlement appears to be Pueblo Spatial Clustering of Ceramic design styles Why do Ceramic design styles cluster? Because: Structure of Ethnographic AnalogyEthnographic Descriptions are the analogueWant to explain

13. Any problems with this kind of Explanation?

14. Artifacts as Use/ Function of Artifacts

15. Spatial variation in the kind of Artifacts • Linking artifact Differences to different landscape features • 2. Use Wear Analysis of Artifacts How Create Explanations of Artifact Use?