Past fragments: From ceramics to social practices in later prehistoric Iberia

2017

Antiquity

Section: The Sitecontrasting

confidence: 69%

Section: Destruction As An Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Destruction and abandonment practices at La Rinconada, Ambato Valley (Catamarca, Argentina)

Gordillo

2017

Antiquity

“…In line with these latter studies, the morphometric study of conjoining fragments can also present a more accurate picture of the histories individual fragments went through before deposition, especially if combined with refitting studies (e.g. Blanco-González, 2015;Chapman and Gaydarska, 2007;Květina and Končelová, 2011;Stäuble, 1990). Unfortunately, it is common practice to glue refitted fragments together.…”

Section: Implications Of Testsmentioning

confidence: 90%

Working with broken agents: Exploring computational 2D morphometrics for studying the (post)depositional history of potsherds

Journal of Archaeological Science

Moulding

Astaloş

et al. 2019

The study of size and shape of ceramic fragments is a widespread approach used for unraveling the depositional and post-depositional history of archaeological assemblages. Similar to sediment particles, the size and shape of a potsherd are altered under conditions of abrasion, breakage, or weathering. These conditions, occurring during or after deposition, can be the product of both human and non-human agents. Thus, the analysis of dimensional and morphological changes of fragments not only points towards specific (post)depositional processes, but can also shed light on the nature of human interaction with broken pottery. By coupling a traditional sedimentological framework for shape description and a computational approach to 2D morphometrics, in this paper we present a quick, reproducible and accurate method for studying the alteration of shape and size of potsherds. Three main shape descriptors, i.e. sphericity, roundness, and convexity, were tested on a combination of experimental and Early Neolithic potsherds in Northwest Romania from contexts where the conditions of fragment alteration were known or could be safely inferred. In addition, potsherds from an Early Neolithic pit discovered at Călineşti-Oaş-Dâmbul Sfintei Mării (Satu Mare County, Romania) were analysed for determining the pit infilling process and understanding the extent of the interaction between humans and broken pots. Results from morphometric tests show the reliability of the computational technique and shape descriptors for identifying different conditions of alteration of potsherds. The Romanian assemblages analyzed provide an insight on (post)depositional processes during a key period where broken materials started to be accumulated. It shows that downslope movement was the main mechanism behind the infilling of the pit at Călineşti-Oaş-Dâmbul Sfintei Mării, and potsherds possessed a high level of erosion and fragmentation, highlighting a long span of human interaction with broken materials at this site during Early Neolithic times.

“…Excepting John Chapman's (2000) reflections on object fragmentation and various studies focusing on how breakage works as an intended action (e.g., Blanco-González, 2014, 2015; Brück, 2006; Chapman, 2000, 2008; Chapman and Gaydarska, 2007; Gordillo and Vindrola-Padrós, 2017; Hamilakis, 1998), breakage remains an undertheorized topic in archaeology. Thus, despite the fact that most of what we deal with are broken objects, a clarification of what exactly we mean by breakage (point i) is warranted.…”

Section: An Outline Of a Theory Of Breakagementioning

confidence: 99%

Outline of a theory of breakage

2023

Anthropological Theory

Much of the debate in archaeological theory throughout the last decades has revolved around challenging problematic humanist principles that have shaped our discipline, particularly the idea that humans are masters over nature. Postprocessualists sought, among other things, to emancipate the human condition from this essentialist claim in part by exposing the historical and cultural situatedness of this humanist principle – an epistemological endeavour. In comparison, posthumanists have animated the material world (albeit in different ways) to decentre human beings in relation to long-forsaken nonhumans – an ontological agenda. While posthumanists accuse postprocessualists of practicing anthropocentrism and the latter accuse the former of occupying an ahumanist and anti-epistemological position, there are powerful commonalities in their critique of late humanist doctrines. The aim of this paper is to introduce a theory that exposes the illusory humanist claim of human control over nature and to recognise other forces with momentum besides human will, while at the same time giving prominence to questions about human knowledge and practice. Therefore, a connection is formed between postprocessualism and posthumanism and, as an ironic result, a theory of breakage is formulated. When we consider human participation with breakage, defined as those continuous and uncontrollable phenomena involving the unbinding of object form, we come to terms with a different form of anthropological understanding termed ‘the social knowledge of breakage’. This constitutes an embodied form of knowledge, which is acquired and expressed practically from a young age about how objects break and how one must respond to these situations. This knowledge is exposed in both mundane and ceremonial practices, in linguistic and non-linguistic forms, shaping social practices in uncertain ways, and can be analysed according to three different strands. In this way, we become aware of the creative ways in which broken materials inadvertently affect our practices.