Theme:
5. Theories and methods in archaeology: interactions between disciplines
Session format:
Regular session
Title:
From Fragmented Artefacts to Household Activities. Potentials of Household Archaeology in Settlement Research
Content:
Household archaeology has undergone profound changes since the establishment of its methodology in the 1970s and remained on the horizon of settlement archaeology right until today. Its fluidity and interdisciplinarity catalyses its constant improvement by the application of diverse methodological techniques. Its flexibility also enables its use in different time periods in a broad geographical scale.
The potential of household archaeology for settlement research is that it can contribute to the understanding of social dynamics of past communities by focusing on the spatial structure and material culture of settlements. Thus, it can provide invaluable information about social relations, survival strategies, decision making and competition of households in periods where textual sources are scarce or even where they are abundant.
The focus of this session is the application of the concept of household archaeology in the analysis of settlements and assemblages. The session aims to introduce and discuss existing and new analytical techniques and feasible results-based interpretations and hereby bridge the gap between the plentiful theoretical approaches in household archaeology and their applications in practice.
We encourage contributors to demonstrate these on actual case studies from different time periods across a broad geographical context.
Works for this session can be guided but not limited by the following topics:
(1) How and to what extent can households be separated at sites in case studies?
(2) What kind of activities can be identified and how can activity areas be localised?
(3) Hierarchy and division of labour between households.
(4) Storage capacity and dish/ tool-sets of households and their changes.
(5) Refuse management practices.
(6) Differentiation of possible domestic space and communal space/ shared and separated activity areas.
(7) Gender-specific areas.
(8) How can settlement studies benefit from household archaeological approach?
Keywords:
household archaeology, settlement research, material culture, activity areas, social relations
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:
Main organiser:
Dóra Szabó (United Kingdom) 1
Co-organisers:
Eszter Soós (Hungary) 2
Jonas Gregorio de Souza (Spain) 3
Affiliations:
1. University of Exeter
2. University of Pécs
3. University Pompeu Fabra
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