Technology and Experimentation in Archaeology

Description

Experimental Archaeology as an hypothesis contrast method, focusing on technological studies, is not new in archaeological research procedures. Since the early 1970s, as a consequence of the application of châine-operatoire/reduction sequence concepts within the framework of Palaeoethnological investigation, or within the actualistics studies highly developed in the framework of Processual Archaeology, the experimentation and utilization of artefact replicas have been used in the search for answers regarding technological procedures and their functional aspects. However, since the 1990s the research interface between technology and experimentation, worldwide, has increased, resulting in a renewal of procedures and interest in the incorporation of such studies particularly in the field of techno-functional analysis of prehistoric artefacts. Nevertheless the criticisms on experimental procedures are abundant, questioning its theoretical fundamentals and explanation validity. These remarks result both from the morphotypological approaches to artefact assemblages, but also from a lack of understanding on the range and goals of such studies. Stefano Grimaldi discusses the epistemological implications of experimental approaches. Experimentation on lithics are discussed in the papers of S. Cura, P. Cura, S. Grimaldi and E. Cristiani; G. N. de Souza and . P. Lima; B. de S. Barreto and M. P. Cabral; M. J. Rodet, A. Prous, J. Machado and L. F. Bass; G. N. Poplevko. Other papers discuss experimentation in the production of beads (M. Gurova, C. Bonsall, B. Bradley, E. Anastassova and P. Cura), new protocols on ceramics experimentation (J. F. Cerezer), ethnographic ceramic technology (R. T. Bortolin and V. Fróis), bone industry (B. Santander; C. Costa, N. Almeida, H. Gomes, S. Cura and P. Cura) and rock art engravings (N. S. da Rosa, S. Cura, S. Garcês and P. Cura). Front Cover Title Page Copyright Table of Contents List of Figures and Tables Introduction HOW MUCH SKILLED SHOULD BE AN EXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGIST AND WHO IS THE REFEREE? EPISTEMOLOGICAL REFLECTIONS OF A FLINTKNAPPER EXPERIMENTATION AND MORPHOTECHNOLOGICAL ANALYSES OF THE MIDDLE PLEISTOCENE LITHIC ASSEMBLAGE OF RIBEIRA DA PONTE DA PEDRA SITE (CENTRAL PORTUGAL) EXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY ON BRAZILIAN POLISHED ARTIFACTS: MAKING ADORNMENTS, HAFTING BLADES AND CUTTING TREES THE LITHIC TECHNOLOGY OF LARANJAL DO JARI I: A KORIABO SITE AT SOUTH AMAPÁ LES INDUSTRIES DES SITES DU HAUT RIO SÃO FRANCISCO: OUTILLLAGE “SIMPLE”, OU “COMPLEXE”? LE CIMETIERE DE BURITIZEIRO ET L’ABRI BIBOCAS DE JEQUITAI METHODOLOGY FOR INTEGRATED RESEARCH FLINT PRODUCTS OF THE NEOLITHIC SITE STARYE VOITKOVICHI 1 IN BELARUS EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH TO PREHISTORIC DRILLING AND BEAD MANUFACTURING CERAMIC TECHNOLOGY: FRAGMENTS OF AN EXPERIMENTAL PROCESS A SCULPTURE AS AN INTERFACE FOR AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL SPACE THE USE OF EXPERIMENTAL ARCHAEOLOGY IN THE HYPOTHESIS TESTING. THE CASE OF THE BONE TECHNOLOGY OF TULAN-54 (NORTHERN CHILE) EARLY DIAGENESIS OF UNGULATE CRANIA IN TEMPERATE ENVIRONMENTS: AN EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH BETWEEN TOOLS AND ENGRAVINGS: TECHNOLOGY AND EXPERIMENTAL ARCHEOLOGY TO THE STUDY OF CACHÃO DO ALGARVE ROCK ART