Perspectives from a human-centred archaeology

A seminar in the series of Friday Seminars for Archaeologists

In this regard, guest lecturer Dr. Helene Wilhelmson from Lund University / South American archeology wil give a lecture.

Archaeology has a greater smorgasbord of opportunities offered to it from other sciences than ever before. New methods and technologies are adding dimensions of the past previously inaccessible. Sensational results motivate the big costs often involved in the methods from other sciences, and appeals to grant distributers and the wider public alike. Archaeology is growing, both scientifically in incorporating other disciplines, and in generating more money and interest. What could possibly improve?

I argue the element of interpretation involved also in new methods, originating in other fields than archaeology, needs to be actively acknowledged and embraced for the archaeology of today to be able be viable also in the long term. Practicing an interdisciplinary archaeology, contrary to a multidisciplinary, does make the research process more complicated but also comes with benefits.  I will demonstrate an interdisciplinary approach in concrete examples, from the Iron Age in the Baltic Island of Öland, which all have been published in the most well renowned international peer review journals in archaeology. The articles emphasize the process of interpretation. This is, so far, internationally very rarely given explicit room in articles dealing with similar methods.

Overview of the entire lectures series can be found here.