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Processualism Grew Out Of New Archaeology

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A SYNCRETIC FUTURE: PROCESSUALISM AND POSTPROCESSUALISM

Sara Hutchinson
Archaeology 4100: Archaeological Theory and Method
March 6, 2023

Processualism and postprocessualism are two dominant theoretical movements in recent archaeological work. Though it is said that postprocessualists are a minority within the archaeological community, both theoretical approaches have had a wide impact on the development of the discipline. This paper aims to explore the advantages and disadvantages of either approach as well as examine examples of both theoretical frameworks in use. To conclude, this paper will make a hypothesis of the direction the discipline may take and will ultimately suggest a synthesis of processualist …show more content…

Though there is great diversity in how processual archaeology is practiced, there are some fundamentals that are widely present in processual scholarship. Central to processual archaeology is upholding a positivist epistemology. This means that they uphold that scientific knowledge is the sole source of valid truth, which is a fact that never needs to be proven within positivism. Due to this positivist epistemology, processualists often take an ahistorical approach and focus solely on scientific reasoning for their explanations. As a result, processualists' work tends to be deductive in nature, meaning they establish a hypothesis and seek to test it, with the establishment of general laws being a paramount goal. To the processual archaeologist, it is most important to study cultural change and evolution. Furthermore, processualists seek to explain what occurred in the physical world and presuppose that generally, individuals in the past have acted rationally when engaging with their physical world. These are the essential beliefs that processualists …show more content…

In this book, Spector explores how archaeologists can connect deeper with the material they study as well as encourage anti-hegemonic thought in unique ways. Spector decided to write creatively about a specific awl that she excavated at the Little Rapids site. Though Spector admits that this story is not completely factual, she highlights that despite this her story helps communicate personal connection with the site, explanations about the site, and explores how the present affects our interpretation of the past. This is a brilliant example of how postprocessualists break down expectations and hegemonic standards in archaeology to explore the inner lives and thoughts of past

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