Conference 17th December 2010 9 a.m. University of Bristol
TAG 2010 Theoretical Archaeology Group, Bristol
- Web page
- http://www.nomadit.co.uk/tag/tag2010/panels.php5?PanelID=855
- Submitter
- Konstantinos Papadopoulos
Dec 17-19
Thinking beyond the tool: archaeological computing and the interpretative process
TAG 2010, Bristol 17-19th December
http://www.nomadit.co.uk/tag/tag2010/panels.php5?PanelID=855
http://www.bristol.ac.uk/archanth/tag/index.html
Abstract
The use of innovative technologies has changed not only the way we practice archaeology, but also the way we understand and interpret the past.
Along with these powerful tools, a series of issues related to the theoretical aspects of their application have emerged.
Developed in other disciplines and for diverse purposes, technologies have not yet adapted to accommodate the needs of archaeological research.
Although they have been fully integrated into our discipline, in many cases the assessment and incorporation of essential variables and factors in the models produced remains limited.
Additionally, the interpretative process is not only influenced by the use of these methodological tools, but also by the way we as archaeologists manage the excavated and collected data making use of our background, stimuli and biases to externalise our reasoning and produce new versions of the past.
Some of these issues have already been considered in the context of certain methodological tools, but there is still fertile field for vivid discussion.
Spatial Analysis in GIS, Computer Graphics and technologies in Cultural Heritage Management are only some of the areas that these theoretical pursuits can be fruitfully applied.
This session is intended
- (1) to discuss the underlying theoretical concepts
- (2) to examine the extent to which the various constraints alter our perception and interpretations about the past, and finally
- (3) to investigate the future directions of these relatively new approaches from a theoretical perspective.