Table of Contents
of the published book (CAR)


     Links are to the NOTES section in this website.
     Page numbers are, temporarily, the ones of the manuscript version.

Chapters 1   2   3   4   5   6   7   8   9   10   11   12   13   14   15   16   17

  Table of Contents      5

  Preface      9

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1  Introduction      15
1.1  The themes      15
     1.1.1  A dual definition of archaeology      15
     1.1.2  Referentiality: grammar and hermeneutics      15
     1.1.3  The value and limits of positivism      16
     1.1.4  Archaeological reason      16
     1.1.5  Structure      17
     1.1.6  Archaeological theory and method      17
     1.1.7  Digitality      17
     1.1.8  Critique      18
1.2  The argument      18
1.3  The companion website      20
1.4  The public impact      21

  PART ONE FUNDAMENTALS      23

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2   Archaeology and grammar      25
2.1  The uniqueness of the discipline:       archaeology as archaeology      25
2.2  A "critical" definition of archaeology      26
     2.2.1  The structural framework      26
     2.2.2  Methodology, method, implementation      27
     2.2.3  Primary and secondary definitions      28
2.3  Primary definition:       inner-referential trace analysis of material cultural remains      29
     2.3.1  The three levels of trace analysis      29
     2.3.2  Distinctiveness of archaeology in terms of the primary definition      31
2.4  Secondary definition:       extra-referential analysis of material cultural remains      33
     2.4.1  Referentiality and temporal distance      33
     2.4.2  Broken traditions      33
2.5  Approaches to the two definitions      34
     2.5.1  Grammar and hermeneutics      34
     2.5.2  The projection of meaning: archaeology as social science      35
     2.5.3  The appropriation of values: archaeology as humanism      35
     2.5.4  Archaeology and texts      37
2.6  Grammar      38
     2.6.1  The notion of grammar      38
     2.6.2  Economy and power      39
     2.6.3  Grammar and codes      39
     2.6.4  Shape grammar and grammar of space      40
2.7  The impact of grammar      41
     2.7.1  Formalization, digitalization, quantification      41
     2.7.2  Capillarity and comprehensiveness      42
     2.7.3  Grammatical underpinnings of a time-bound record      43
2.8  A theory of excavation      44
     2.8.1  The intellectual dimension of field work      44
     2.8.2  Observation and inference      44
     2.8.3  Structural archaeology      45

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3   Categorization      47
3.1  Grammar and categorization      47
3.2  Definition and definitions      47
3.3  Synchrony and diachrony      48
3.4  Structural aspects      49
     3.4.1  Closed and open systems: "-emic" and "(e)-tic"      49
     3.4.2  Binary oppositions      51
     3.4.3  Distributional arrays      52
     3.4.4  Paradigms      53
3,5  Procedures      54
     3.5.1  Trees and nodes      54
     3.5.2  Attribute analysis      55
3.6  Minimal constituents, morphemes, morphs, allomorphs      56
3.7  Technique and method      56

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4   The search for objectivity      58
4.1  Objectivity as calibration of perception      58
4.2  The record: stratification and stratigraphy      59
4.3  The objectivity of grammar      60
4.4  Emplacement and deposition: a basic antinomy      61
4.5  Operational aspects of stratigraphic analysis      62
4.6  Observation as the foundation of objectivity      63
     4.6.1  Primacy of atomistic observations      63
     4.6.2  Irreplaceability and explicitness of original observations      64
     4.6.3  Precision and accuracy      64
     4.6.4 merit of minimalism      65
4.7  The nature of strategy      66
     4.7.1  The fluidity of observation      66
     4.7.2  Strategy and tactics      67

  PART TWO ANALYSIS      69

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5   Stratigraphic analysis      71
5.1  The nature of stratigraphic analysis      71
5.2  Emplacement: the overriding significance of contacts      71
     5.2.1  The notion of contiguity      71
     5.2.2  Direct contact      72
     5.2.3  Indirect contacts      73
     5.2.4  Assessment of contacts      74
     5.2.5  In search of laws      76
5.3  Deposition: time as function of space      77
     5.3.1  An archaeological inference      77
     5.3.2  Emplacement as a clue to deposition      77
     5.3.3  Strata definition and strata assignment      77
     5.3.4  Automatic derivation of strata sequence      78
5.4  Conceptualization      78
5.5  Documentation      79
     5.5.1  The nature of documentation      79
     5.5.2  The digital and grammatical dimensions      80
     5.5.3  The basic principles of documentation      81
     5.5.4  The mechanics of the input      82
     5.5.5  The significance of feedback in the input phase      82
5.6  In praise of theory      83

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6   Typological analysis      85
6.1  The elements: features and items      85
6.2  Archaeological typology      85
6.3  Formal analysis of single elements: morphology      86
     6.3.1  Three types of morphological analysis      86
     6.3.2  Principles of compositional analysis      87
     6.3.3  Principles of manufacturing analysis      88
     6.3.4  Principles of functional analysis      90
6.4  Formal analysis of assemblages: taxonomy      91
     6.4.1  The notion of assemblage      91
     6.4.2  Patterned ordering of attributes within assemblages      92
     6.4.3  Structuring principle      93
     6.4.4  Beyond formal analysis      93
     6.4.5  The coherence of the whole      94
6.5  Typology and stratigraphy      94

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7   Integrative analysis      97
7.1  A secondary typological dimension      97
7.2  The nature of integration      97
     7.2.1  Stratigraphy and typology      97
     7.2.2  Typologies      98
     7.2.3  The cost of integration      99
     7.2.4  Integration vs. juxtaposition      99
     7.2.5  Beyond extrinsicism      100
7.3  Integrative procedures      100
     7.3.1  Method and technique in relationship to the inventory      100
     7.3.2  An open sensitivity      101
7.4  Method: inventory specific      102
     7.4.1  Homogeneous inventories      102
     7.4.2  Heterogeneous archaeological inventories      103
     7.4.3  Heterogeneous non-archaeological inventories      104
7.5  Technique: non inventory specific      106
     7.5.1  Techniques as non inventory specific procedures      106
     7.5.2  Science and techniques      107
7.6  A grammatical approach to style      108
7.7  Two types of extra-referential integration      110
7.8  The role of integrative analysis within the Global Record      110
     7.8.1  The creation of the record      110
     7.8.2  The fruition of the record      111

  PART THREE THE REASSEMBLED CONSTRUCT      113

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8   The invention of a site      115
8.1  The reconfiguration of the finds      115
8.2  The physical and referential nature of the record      116
8.3  The constitutive nature of the record      117
8.4  The publication as embodiment of the record      118
8.5  Selectivity and the question of “non-data”      120
8.6  The great transfer      121
8.7  The interpretive filters      122
8.8  The basic presuppositions      123
8.9  The delay in archaeological publishing      123
8.10  A definitive publication      124
8.11  The maieutics of archaeology      125
8.12  Socially responsible archaeology       and the question of identity      126

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9   The physical record      128
9.1  Disposition      128
9.2  Conservation      129
9.3  Restoration      130
9.4  Reconstruction      132
9.5  Storage of movable items      133
9.6  Curation      135
9.7  Access      135
9.8  The site as a book      136
     9.8.1  Staging the past      137
     9.8.2  Scholarly concerns      138

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10   The referential record      139
10.1  Reassembling the "raw" data      139
10.2  The fragmented evidence and the sequential argument      139
10.3  The documentation      140
     10.3.1  The documentary record      140
     10.3.2  Databases      141
     10.3.3  Passive digital publication      141
     10.3.4  Documentary visualization      142
     10.3.5  Statistical elaboration      144
10.4  The narrative      144
     10.4.1  The textual narrative      144
     10.4.2  Excavation reports      145
     10.4.3  Argument based narratives      145
     10.4.4  Conclusion based narrative      146
10.5  Perceptual visualization      146
10.6  Virtual reality      147
10.7  The stakeholders, proximate and remote      148
10.8  Public outreach      149
10.9  The grammatical dimension      150

  PART FOUR THE PRIVILEGED VENUE      153

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11   Digital thought      155
11.1  Bracing the distance      155
     11.1.1  The pre-digital phase      155
     11.1.2  The digital innovation      156
     11.1.3  Intentional dislocation      157
11.2  Structuring the data      157
       Discontiguity      157
     11.2.2  Capillarity of nodes      158
     11.2.3  Integration of arrays      160
11.3  Structuring the argument      161
     11.3.1  Discontinuity and sequentiality      161
     11.3.2  Multilinear sequences      162
     11.3.3  Polyhedral argument      163
     11.3.4  Non-systemic sequences      164
     11.3.5  Fluidity of structure and deconstruction      165
     11.3.6  Semantic and lexical webs      166
11.4  The implicit argument      167
     11.4.1  The data base as an argument      167
     11.4.2  The argument function of sorting      168
     11.4.3  The argument function of a word search      169
     11.4.4  Evaluation      170
11.5  The narrative argument      170
     11.5.1  Digital discourse, narrative, text      170
     11.5.2  Primary and secondary narrative arguments      171
     11.5.3  Automation: the primary narrative argument      172
     11.5.4  The secondary narrative argument      173
11.6  Digital humanities and digital humanism      173
     11.6.1  Digital humanities: the technical domain      173
     11.6.2  Digital humanism: the conceptual domain      174
     11.6.3  Perception      174
     11.6.4  The reach of artificial constructs      176
11.7  The para-digital dimension      177
11.8  The notion of digital thought      178
11.9  A historical perspective on digital thought      179
     11.9.1  Orality      179
     11.9.2  From pre-literate to para-literate      180
     11.9.3  Discontinuity and non-linearity      181
     11.9.4  Becoming literate      182
     11.9.5  From the Encycoplédie to digitality      184

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12   Digital text      186
12.1  The notion of digital text      186
12.2  The reader      187
     12.2.1  Perceptual discontinuity      187
     12.2.2  The persons: user vs. reader      187
     12.2.3  The actions: consulting vs. studying      189
     12.2.4  Hyperlinks – informational and thematic      191
     12.2.5  Reading and digital reading      191
12.3  The author      192
     12.3.1  Structural discontinuity      192
     12.3.2  The merging of the three levels      193
     12.3.3  The new continuity      193
12.4  Digital discourse      194
     12.4.1  "One long argument"      194
     12.4.2  Tensionality      195
     12.4.3  Reconfiguration      196
     12.4.4  Centering and grammaticality      197
     12.4.5  Self-declaration      198
12.5  The heightened perception      199
12.6  Compositional mechanisms      200
     12.6.1  Pointers to compositional structure      200
     12.6.2  The outer limits      200
     12.6.3  The frame      201
     12.6.4  Titled segmentation      202
     12.6.5  Markers      203
     12.6.6  Hyperlinks      204
     12.6.7  The extended evidentiary base      205
12.7  Bibliographical status      206

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13   The archaeological record      208
13.1  Archaeological digital thought      208
13.2  Conceptual digitality of the archaeological data      209
     13.2.1  The primacy of atomism      209
     13.2.2  Finality of the fragment      210
     13.2.3  Quantification and the anchoring bias      211
13.3  The role of observation      212
     13.3.1  The dynamics of the record      212
     13.3.2  The observation as a structuring moment      212
     13.3.3  The input as argument      213
13.4  "Ontologies" and the semantic web      215
     13.4.1  Grammatical and hermeneutical aspects      215
     13.4.2  "Ontologies" as grammars      216
     13.4.3  The semantic web as hermeneutics      217
13.5  An archaeological record in practice      217
     13.5.1  A test case      217
     13.5.2  Global Record and Browser Edition      218
     13.5.3  The semantics of automation      219
     13.5.4  Intrinsic vs. extrinsic integration      220
     13.5.5  Compositional matters      221
     13.5.6  The basal data      222
     13.5.7  The scripts      223
     13.5.8  The dialectics of alternate registers      223
     13.5.9  Interactivity      224
     13.5.10  Globality      225
     13.5.11  Publication      226
     13.5.12  Portability      227
     13.5.13  Bibliographical status      228
     13.5.14  The presentation component of the browser edition      228

  PART FIVE THE WIDER FRAME      231

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14   The relevance of structure      233
14.1  Structure      233
14.2  The Kantian model      233
     14.2.1  The nature of the impact      233
     14.2.2  The organization of my argument      235
14.3  Tensionality – the Kantian intuition      235
     14.3.1  Introductory      235
     14.3.2  The notion of "bracing"      236
     14.3.3  "Transcendental"      237
     14.3.4  "Critique" and grammar      237
14.4  Tensionality – the implications      238
     14.4.1  Open and closed structures      238
     14.4.2  The overlay of structural systems      239
     14.4.3  Binary opposition      240
14.5  Inclusivity – the Kantian intuition      240
     14.5.1  Introductory      240
     14.5.2  "Analytics"      241
     14.5.3  Totality: "unity" and "synthesis" as structure      241
     14.5.4  The constitutive elements: "subdivison" and "dissection"      242
14.6  Inclusivity –the implications      243
     14.6.1  Univocal relationship among structural elements      243
     14.6.2  Scalarity      243
     14.6.3  Rules      244
     14.6.4  Distributional analysis      245
     14.6.5  Grammatical and inferential structures      246
14.7  Referentiality – the Kantian intuition      247
     14.7.1  Introductory      247
     14.7.2  Referential levels      247
     14.7.3  A homeostatic system and the external referent      248
     14.7.4  "Metaphysics"      249
     14.7.5  The substantive nature of the referential dimension      249
     14.7.6  "Reason"      250
     14.7.7  "Dialectics"      251
14.8  Referentiality – the implications      251
     14.8.1  The external referent      251
     14.8.2  Interlocking systems      253
     14.8.3  A world encased      253
     14.8.4  Semiotics      254
14.9  A systemic cohesiveness      255
14.10  The Kantian legacy      256
     14.10.1  Three stages      256
     14.10.2  The ultimate impact      258
14.11  Para-perception and the transcendental revolution      259
14.12  A critique of "human" reason      259

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15   The critical approach      261
15.1  Reason and "reasons"      261
15.2  Pure and impure reason      262
15.3  Critique, "critical theory," metaphysics      263
15.4  Archaeological data      264
15.5  Archaeological reason      265
15.6  A critique of archaeological reason      266
15.7  A critical approach to archaeology      266
15.8  Referential levels      268
15.9  Observation and degrees of inference      268
15.10  A critical approach to stratigraphy      269
     15.10.1  Excavation      269
     15.10.2  Emplacement      270
     15.10.3  Deposition      271
     15.10.4  Stratigraphy      271
     15.10.5  Other stratigraphies      272
15.11  A critical approach to typology      272
     15.11.1  The structuring principle      272
     15.11.2  The structured whole      273
     15.11.3  The meeting of two reasons: selection and classification      274
     15.11.4  Classes, types and allotypes      275
     15.11.5  Inventories, assemblages and sampling      276
     15.11.6  A note on terminology      276
     15.11.7  Patterned singularity      277
     15.11.8  Synchrony and diachrony      277
     15.11.9  Patterns of production      278
15.2  A critical approach to interpretation      278
     15.12.1  The nature of the evidence      278
     15.12.2  An "uncritical" theory of archaeology      279
     15.12.3  The merits of "uncritical theory"      280
     15.12.4  Interpretation and theory of interpretation      280
15.13  Archaeology and philosophy      281
15.14  Metaarchaeology      282

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16   Hermeneutics      283
16.1  The question of meaning      283
16.2  The premise of grammar      283
     16.2.1  Grammar and meaning      283
     16.2.2  Distributional and structural analysis      284
     16.2.3  The urgency of grammar      286
16.3  Semiotics within hermeneutics      286
     16.3.1  Mending the brokenness: semiotics for a broken tradition      286
     16.3.2  Distribution      287
     16.3.3  Linking      288
     16.3.4  The other side of semiotics: perceptual analysis      289
     16.3.5  Reconstituting perception      290
16.4  The possibility of meaning      291
     16.4.1  Presuppositions      291
     16.4.2  Clustering      292
     16.4.3  The structural trigger      293
     16.4.4  The hermeneutic risk      294
     16.4.5  Potential grammaticalization      295
     16.4.6  The coherence of the system      295
16.5  The retrieval of consciousness: cognitive archaeology      296
16.6  The two hermeneutics      297
     16.6.1  Hermeneutics as invention      298
     16.6.2  Hermeneutics as appropriation      298
     16.6.3  Hermeneutics of broken traditions      299
16.7  Archaeology and history      300
16.8  A pre-linguistic hermeneutics      301
     16.8.1  Para-perceptual communication      301
     16.8.2  The autonomy of the referent      302
     16.8.3  Levels of signification      302
16.9  Academic alignments and intellectual domains      303
     16.9.1  Epoché, empathy, assent      303
     16.9.2  Social sciences and the humanities      304
     16.9.3  "Undiseased by hypothesis": the humanities and theory      305
     16.9.4  Culture and experience: mediation of patterns and immediacy of fruition      306

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17   Conclusion      307
17.1  Archaeological reason      307
17.2  Grammar and hermeneutics      307
17.3  Structural archaeology      308
17.4  Archaeology and linguistics      308
17.5  Archaeology, digitality and philosophy      308
17.6  Archaeological reason for a living tradition      309
17.7  Critique and theory      310
  Subject index      311