Abstract
Within the past decade or so, archaeology has increasingly utilised and contributed to major advances in scientific methods when exploring the past. This progress is frequently celebrated as a quantum leap in the possibilities for understanding the archaeological record, opening up hitherto inaccessible dimensions of the past. This article represents a critique of the current consumption of science in archaeology, arguing that the discipline’s grounding in the humanities is at stake, and that the notion of ‘interdisciplinarity’ is becoming distorted with the increasing fetishisation of ‘data’, ‘facts’ and quantitative methods. It is argued that if archaeology is to break free of its self-induced inferiority to and dependence on science, it must revitalise its methodology for asking questions pertinent to the humanities.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Norwegian Archaeological Review |
| Volume | 50 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| Pages (from-to) | 101-115 |
| ISSN | 0029-3652 |
| Publication status | Published - 3 Jul 2017 |
Keywords
- Faculty of Humanities
- Archaeological science
- Humanities
- Epistemology
- modes of inquiry
- Interdisciplinarity