Archaeologies of the Past and in the Present in 2014: Materialities of Human History

Abstract

Research from the past year demonstrates archaeologists' diverse contributions to the anthropological study of human experience and social relationships in time and space. I divide literature published from late 2013 to late 2014 into five themes. First, archaeological research on space focuses on the persistence and materiality of landscapes, the creation and dynamics of communities and cities, and the mobility and migration of people.Second, studies of climate change and environmental interaction stress that organizational relationships and their long-term legacies are fundamental to ecological sustainability. Third, archaeologists offer anthropology the ability to contextualize the causes and the manifestations of violence and conflict through longitudinal cases studies and material analysis. Fourth, work on objects, bodies, and identity emphasizes that social subjectivities are not only variable but are historically connected to material worlds. Finally, fifth, archaeologists engaged with the present offer critical understandings of heritage policies and promote an activism that seeks more ethical practices with descendent communities and within the discipline itself. Despite differences, the recent literature reveals archaeologists' contributions to these significant anthropological topics by studying long-term, historical legacies and the materiality of human relationships. [archaeology, anthropology, materiality, history, year in review] RESUMEN Investigación del año pasado demuestra contribuciones diversas de los arqueólogos al estudio antropológico de la experiencias humana y las relaciones sociales en tiempo y espacio. Divido la literatura publicada desde finales del 2013 a finales del 2014 en cinco temas. Primero, la investigación arqueológica sobre espacio se enfoca en la persistencia y materialidad de los paisajes, la creación y dinámica de comunidades y ciudades, y la movilidad y migración de personas. Segundo, estudios de cambio climático e interacción ambiental enfatizan que las relaciones organizacionales y sus legados de largo plazo son fundamentales para la sostenibilidad ecológica.Tercero, arqueólogos le ofrecen a la antropología la habilidad de contextualizar las causas y las manifestaciones de la violencia y el conflicto a través de estudios de caso longitudinales y análisis material. Cuarto, trabajos sobre objetos, cuerpos, e identidad enfatizan que las subjetividades sociales no son solamente variables, sino que están históricamente conectadas a los mundos materiales. Finalmente, quinto, arqueólogos comprometidos con el presente ofrecen entendimientos críticos de las políticas hereditarias y promueven un activismo que busca prácticas máséticas con comunidades de descendientes y dentro de la disciplina en sí misma. A pesar de las diferencias, la reciente literatura revela las contribuciones de los arqueólogos a estos temas antropológicos significativos al estudiar legados históricos de largo plazo y la materialidad de las relaciones humanas. [arqueología, antropología, materialidad, hi...

Anthropological Archaeology in 2015: Entanglements, Reflection, Reevaluation, and Archaeology beyond Disciplinary Boundaries

“…Archaeologists increasingly analyze the quotidian aspects of conflict and warfare—that is, how does violence affect the daily life of common people? This shift in 2015 builds on work from previous years that examined the relationship between conflict and power and their impact on the body, technological shifts, and landscapes (Morehart ).…”

“…; Thompson ). This trend was emphasized by both Eleanor Harrison‐Buck () and Christopher Morehart () in their archaeology year‐in‐review articles over the last two years. Now, in addition to collaborating with other disciplines, archaeologists increasingly seek to make an impact on a wide range of research objectives in both the sciences and the humanities.…”

An anthropological perspective on the climate change and violence relationship

“…Artefacts like weapons, defensive features in architecture, and relocation of settlements to more defensible positions indicate potentially elevated risks for physical violence [17,[19][20][21][22]. Laws, policies, and ideologies inscribed on architectural features or recorded in texts may indicate societal shifts and institutional support for social inequalities.…”