Vagueness and Archaeological Interpretation: A Sensuous Approach to Archaeological Knowledge Formation through Finds Analysis. Marila, M. Norwegian Archaeological Review, 50(1):66–88, January, 2017. Publisher: Routledge _eprint: https://doi.org/10.1080/00293652.2017.1325393
Vagueness and Archaeological Interpretation: A Sensuous Approach to Archaeological Knowledge Formation through Finds Analysis [link]Paper  doi  abstract   bibtex   
The rapid development of natural scientific methods coupled with the recent popularity of new materialist philosophies in archaeological theory has raised discussion about the possibility of a return to empiricism in archaeology. While empiricism as a pragmatic philosophy is in line with archaeology’s hands-on character, the recent development has left some concerned about the vanishing role of vagueness and ambiguity in archaeological interpretation. In this setting, the exactitude of natural scientific methods is seen as a process of simplification that compromises the tacit dimensions of archaeological knowledge. This article discusses vagueness as an elementary part of all archaeological knowledge formation, with a particular emphasis on the role of perception and senses in finds analysis. Archaeological finds analysis is explored as an example of epistemologically vague and creative hypothesis formation.
@article{marila_vagueness_2017,
	title = {Vagueness and {Archaeological} {Interpretation}: {A} {Sensuous} {Approach} to {Archaeological} {Knowledge} {Formation} through {Finds} {Analysis}},
	volume = {50},
	issn = {0029-3652},
	shorttitle = {Vagueness and {Archaeological} {Interpretation}},
	url = {https://doi.org/10.1080/00293652.2017.1325393},
	doi = {10.1080/00293652.2017.1325393},
	abstract = {The rapid development of natural scientific methods coupled with the recent popularity of new materialist philosophies in archaeological theory has raised discussion about the possibility of a return to empiricism in archaeology. While empiricism as a pragmatic philosophy is in line with archaeology’s hands-on character, the recent development has left some concerned about the vanishing role of vagueness and ambiguity in archaeological interpretation. In this setting, the exactitude of natural scientific methods is seen as a process of simplification that compromises the tacit dimensions of archaeological knowledge. This article discusses vagueness as an elementary part of all archaeological knowledge formation, with a particular emphasis on the role of perception and senses in finds analysis. Archaeological finds analysis is explored as an example of epistemologically vague and creative hypothesis formation.},
	number = {1},
	urldate = {2020-10-01},
	journal = {Norwegian Archaeological Review},
	author = {Marila, Marko},
	month = jan,
	year = {2017},
	note = {Publisher: Routledge
\_eprint: https://doi.org/10.1080/00293652.2017.1325393},
	pages = {66--88},
}

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