Theme:
Theories and methods in archaeological sciences
Session format:
Session, made up of a combination of papers, max. 15 minutes each
Title:
On site, between sites:
multi-scalar networks and assemblages from social theory to formal analysis
Content:
Scale is a long-standing problem in archaeology. Conventionally, it is approached as two or more distinct levels (micro vs. macro, or a series of nested scales). However, the ontological turn and the introduction of the concept of assemblages (De Landa) suggests that, at each scale, the property of the whole emerges from interactions between the constituent parts. Moreover, while the simplest entities can be conceived of as assemblages of some sort, conversely, assemblages can be considered entities in their own right.
Building on these concepts, Marston et al. (2005 ‘Human Geography without Scale’) suggest a redefinition of the concept of ‘site’ as an “emergent property of its interacting human and non-human inhabitants”. They argue that sites are entities that do not precede the connectivity that brings them into reality, either internally (intra-site) or across networks (inter-site). This. in turn, is consistent with recent conceptualizations of networks as self-organising systems.
Yet the methodological, theoretical and practical issues of applying multi-scalar and multi-temporal networks to archaeological data have rarely been discussed. With this session we aim to bring together scholars working on diverse periods and regions to explore applications of these concepts and to discuss their problems and potential.
Keywords:
Multi-scalar networks; assemblages; scale; site
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Main organiser:
Mrs Francesca Fulminante (United Kingdom) 1,2,3
Co-organisers:
Dr Rob Witcher (United Kingdom) 2
Affiliations:
1. University Roma Tre
2. Durham University
3. Cambridge Univeristy
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