Archaeology, Theory in

A Step into the Past

“…Although customarily considered to be one of the most neutral tools of archaeological reasoning, this procedure in fact stems from a number of theoretical premises, linking human behaviour to the distribution of its material traces in lawlike generalisations (Bandović 2017). One of the most important results of this practice of archaeological plotting onto maps is the deeply ingrained concept of cultural group as the basic temporal and spatial unit of archaeological research, particularly under the culture-historical paradigm (Babić 2015a). In his attempt to discern the "cultural traces of the Iron Age" (Vasić 1912: 2) along the Danube Valley, Vasić was diligently working towards establishing one such unit, although not explicitly naming it.…”

“…Finally, the fact that in 1971 two distinct locations were registered under the same toponym of Vajuga, indicating that the researchers posited some kind of demarcation between them, points to the intricacies of ascertaining the boundaries of a site (Cherry 2005: 251). The situation becomes even more complex when traces of previous occupations overlap, making it difficult to equate one particular spatial coordinate with its straightforward chronological dimension (Babić 2015). One possible way to solve the dilemma of the exact limits of a site and its contents is to change the research strategy and explore its other dimensions.…”

“…In order to advance the archaeological knowledge, a new criterion was now added to observations -that of "closed cultural layers", implying undisturbed deposits of material traces of past human activities over a certain area (Lucas 1999: 148 f., 2012: 74 f.). Although in archaeological theory and practice some very fervent discussions have taken place over the issue of subsequent disturbances (Babić 2015), there are solid reasons archaeologists prefer to rely on evidence collected from the contexts judged to be least disturbed by ensuing events. Principally, this ensures more reliable observations of stratigraphic and chronological sequences of collected artefacts (Harris 1979: 92-95).…”

“…The Bronze Age material, or the one from the two mediaeval cemeteries at Pesak, has remained out of the focus, in the grey zone of disturbances (cf. Babić 2015;Lucas 2001: 60). In order to partake in these processes of identification and selection of pertinent information, leading to the determination of the spatial and temporal dimensions of a site, archaeologists need to acquire particular skills.…”

What is ‘European Archaeology’? What Should it be?

“…On the other hand, other archaeological professional communities are perceived as intrinsically conservative or, at best, lagging behind dominant trends. The ideal outcome is therefore for the latter to catch up with developments on a universally acknowledged ‘ladder of stages’ of archaeological theory and practice (Babić, 2014, 2015). However, the processes of knowledge transfer in academic communities are much more than a one-directional relationship between transmitter and receiver.…”