Session: #23

Theme & Session Format

Theme:
5. Theories and methods in archaeology: interactions between disciplines
Session format:
Regular session

Title & Content

Title:
CANCELLED The Shaping of Space: From the Palaeolithic to the Iron Age
Content:
Natural selection produces organisms that are adapted to the space in which they evolved and are embedded. Many organisms are driven to also modify their environment to adapt it to their own vital needs, either temporarily or permanently. For instance, termites and other insects build their own living space. Primates like chimpanzees are known to construct nests in trees every night to safely sleep out of the reach of their predators. Humans are no exception as they have now almost entirely replaced their natural milieu with built environments that afford the comfort and protection they need. This massive re-shaping of space, though, has not occurred instantly. This panel will endeavour to probe the archaeological record to identify the range of attempts by early humans to transform their living space in order to improve their chances of survival. Although materials like wood and other organic products have usually disappeared without leaving any evidence of their use, the archaeological record shows that the lithic environment has been increasingly exploited, manipulated, and reconfigured by early humans to re-shape their surrounding space not only in order to reduce the uncertainties to which they were exposed but also to model their beliefs by introducing new structures of a symbolic nature in their familiar landscapes. Territorial markings, paths making, rock art, stones arrangements, various constructions designed to domesticate fire, burial sites, tumuli and megaliths, for example, show increasing degrees of complexity and efficiency as well as obvious efforts to add meaningful and durable patterns to their living space and surrounding landscapes. The progressive re-shaping of space was necessarily a crucial part of early humans' efforts to adapt their environment to their needs. Only an approach that relies on several archaeological disciplines can come to grips with the complexity of this cultural process and its consequences.
Keywords:
Space, built environment, cultural evolution, landscape, fire architecture, burial sites
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:

Organisers

Main organiser:
Paul Bouissac (Canada) 1
Co-organisers:
Dragos Gheorghiu (Romania) 2
Affiliations:
1. University of Toronto
2. National University of Arts Bucharest