Archaeological Context and Systemic Context

TLDR

Archaeological theory has neglected the cultural processes that shape the record. The study presents a flow model to view the life history and systemic context of material elements. The model describes procurement, manufacture, use, maintenance, discard, and refuse labeling of elements, linking their life history to archaeological context. The model explains a large part of the archaeological record and shows that refuse disposal patterns reveal untapped behavioral information.

Abstract

Abstract The cultural aspect of the processes responsible for forming the archaeological record is argued to be an underdeveloped branch of archaeological theory. A flow model is presented by which to view the "life history" or processes of systemic context of any material element. This model accounts for the production of a substantial portion of the archaeological record. The basic processes of this model are: procurement, manufacture, use, maintenance, and discard. Refuse labels the state of an element in archaeological context. The spatial implications of the model suggest a largely untapped source of behavioral information. Differential refuse disposal patterns are examined as they affect artifact location and association. The meaning of element relative frequencies in refuse is discussed.