In archaeological studies of past societies and peoples, the material remains of these groups off... more In archaeological studies of past societies and peoples, the material remains of these groups offer valuable insight into the subtle intricacies of historical social, political, economic and even ideological systems. Objects and tools have been created and utilized by every human group, regardless of their social complexity or historic period: this has lead some to emphasize the importance of the conceptual homo faber, man the creator, in attempts to access a better understanding of ancient systems and people. It has also been recognized that the fashioning of objects is not entirely a utilitarian endeavor; people’s identities are shaped by and reflected in the items which they create, consume, interact with, and use, and as such, these fashioned objects potentially offer a window into the ancient mind. Studies of craft-specialization, prominent in archaeological research throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, have continually attempted to make use of this notion, using archaeologically visible skillfully crafted goods to address wider theoretical questions of social change, political centralization, economic development, and other such complex issues. This essay will attempt to address the varying approaches archaeologists have taken towards the study of craft specialization in past societies.
As technologies continue to advance in complexity, utility and affordability, archaeologists are ... more As technologies continue to advance in complexity, utility and affordability, archaeologists are able to gain evermore insight from the archaeological record, ask new research questions, and approach studies of past peoples in innovative and stimulating ways. Agent-based models, or ABMs, are one such technological development that has the potential to both advance and alter the course archaeological research in coming years. These models, when combined with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), allow researchers to artificially reproduce the actions, social behaviors and interactions between agents that are realistic in their mobility, cognitive capabilities and sensory capacities. This paper will present an in depth review of ABMs in order to better understand the applications, limitations and potential developments of such analyses within archaeology.
The cultural landscape of the Inca Empire was literally carved in stone. The Inca defined themsel... more The cultural landscape of the Inca Empire was literally carved in stone. The Inca defined themselves in terms of their sacred landscape from the genesis of their civilization, and carefully crafted their built environment so as to create a seamless fusion between the physical and the cosmological. Within Inca ideology and cosmology, the natural environment was complementary to the built environment; through shaping stone in construction projects, the Inca tamed the forces of nature that were inherently unordered, and imposed Inca-ness onto the landscape. Yet this reverential treatment of stone, though deeply engrained in Inca thought and practice, arose from an established aesthetic tradition that was common across the Andes. Through the exploration of this pan-Andean stone aesthetic, one can better understand how the Inca manipulated the landscape that surrounded them in order to perpetuate a dominant state ideology and create a pervasive collective memory that further enforced systems of power amongst the ruling elite.
In an endeavor to better understand the lives and activities of past peoples, archaeologists in t... more In an endeavor to better understand the lives and activities of past peoples, archaeologists in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have employed increasingly sophisticated methodologies and technologies. Longstanding archaeological questions, for instance, those concerning human movement, have thus been approached from new perspectives in an attempt to reveal underlying connections between such behavior and more complex social dynamics, economic systems, territorial issues, and other questions of past peoples’ identities . Spatial technologies, such as those offered by Geographic Information Systems (GIS), enable archaeologists to explore such themes from a landscape-oriented perspective, as exemplified by the use cost surface analyses in archaeological investigations of human engagement with the environment. Though the intricacies and aims of this approach have evolved continuously since its first applications within archaeology and GIS in the 1990s (Gaffney & Stančič, 1991), the basic principles of cost surface analysis are now well established and widely employed. In order to best understand the history and current applications of this approach within archaeology, this essay will first outline the basic principles of cost-surface studies within GIS, and review the archaeological research that has employed cost-surface studies to varying ends. Following this, a discussion of the apparent methodological and theoretical shortcomings of cost-surface analysis will be presented. Overall, it will be demonstrated that cost-surface analyses can help archaeologists access past peoples’ subjective and cognitive understanding of their physical surroundings, though further development is needed before this goal can be fully realized.
"Behind the Roddick Gates" is an academic journal produced by McGill and the Redpath Museum. It i... more "Behind the Roddick Gates" is an academic journal produced by McGill and the Redpath Museum. It is a collection of papers, art, photography and thought pieces on Montreal and the Museum, sent in by members of the Redpath Museum Club.
It is widely accepted that building materials in central Cuzco were sourced from particular quarr... more It is widely accepted that building materials in central Cuzco were sourced from particular quarries, considered sacred in their own right, and incorporated into important structures in order to visually and physically tie them to the sacred landscape. Many Inca quarries that served Cuzco were distant and difficult to access, yet were generally favoured over more local stone sources. If building material selection was primarily determined by utilitarian considerations, this extensive network of stone exploitation would have been an unnecessary expenditure of resources, in terms of the labour and transportation costs such remote quarries would have incurred. Contrary to this, this paper will argue that the selection of stone was a careful and precise process, where factors such as size, colour, and workability contributed to the where and how stone was used in Inca construction projects. It will be demonstrated that the act of construction served the secondary, yet significant, function of actively communicating the wealth and power of the Inca elite, through the public display of the labour and resources at their command. In the construction of their capital city, the Inca consciously created a symbol of imperial permanence and power, a message that remains apparent to this day.
In archaeological studies of past societies and peoples, the material remains of these groups off... more In archaeological studies of past societies and peoples, the material remains of these groups offer valuable insight into the subtle intricacies of historical social, political, economic and even ideological systems. Objects and tools have been created and utilized by every human group, regardless of their social complexity or historic period: this has lead some to emphasize the importance of the conceptual homo faber, man the creator, in attempts to access a better understanding of ancient systems and people. It has also been recognized that the fashioning of objects is not entirely a utilitarian endeavor; people’s identities are shaped by and reflected in the items which they create, consume, interact with, and use, and as such, these fashioned objects potentially offer a window into the ancient mind. Studies of craft-specialization, prominent in archaeological research throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, have continually attempted to make use of this notion, using archaeologically visible skillfully crafted goods to address wider theoretical questions of social change, political centralization, economic development, and other such complex issues. This essay will attempt to address the varying approaches archaeologists have taken towards the study of craft specialization in past societies.
As technologies continue to advance in complexity, utility and affordability, archaeologists are ... more As technologies continue to advance in complexity, utility and affordability, archaeologists are able to gain evermore insight from the archaeological record, ask new research questions, and approach studies of past peoples in innovative and stimulating ways. Agent-based models, or ABMs, are one such technological development that has the potential to both advance and alter the course archaeological research in coming years. These models, when combined with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), allow researchers to artificially reproduce the actions, social behaviors and interactions between agents that are realistic in their mobility, cognitive capabilities and sensory capacities. This paper will present an in depth review of ABMs in order to better understand the applications, limitations and potential developments of such analyses within archaeology.
The cultural landscape of the Inca Empire was literally carved in stone. The Inca defined themsel... more The cultural landscape of the Inca Empire was literally carved in stone. The Inca defined themselves in terms of their sacred landscape from the genesis of their civilization, and carefully crafted their built environment so as to create a seamless fusion between the physical and the cosmological. Within Inca ideology and cosmology, the natural environment was complementary to the built environment; through shaping stone in construction projects, the Inca tamed the forces of nature that were inherently unordered, and imposed Inca-ness onto the landscape. Yet this reverential treatment of stone, though deeply engrained in Inca thought and practice, arose from an established aesthetic tradition that was common across the Andes. Through the exploration of this pan-Andean stone aesthetic, one can better understand how the Inca manipulated the landscape that surrounded them in order to perpetuate a dominant state ideology and create a pervasive collective memory that further enforced systems of power amongst the ruling elite.
In an endeavor to better understand the lives and activities of past peoples, archaeologists in t... more In an endeavor to better understand the lives and activities of past peoples, archaeologists in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries have employed increasingly sophisticated methodologies and technologies. Longstanding archaeological questions, for instance, those concerning human movement, have thus been approached from new perspectives in an attempt to reveal underlying connections between such behavior and more complex social dynamics, economic systems, territorial issues, and other questions of past peoples’ identities . Spatial technologies, such as those offered by Geographic Information Systems (GIS), enable archaeologists to explore such themes from a landscape-oriented perspective, as exemplified by the use cost surface analyses in archaeological investigations of human engagement with the environment. Though the intricacies and aims of this approach have evolved continuously since its first applications within archaeology and GIS in the 1990s (Gaffney & Stančič, 1991), the basic principles of cost surface analysis are now well established and widely employed. In order to best understand the history and current applications of this approach within archaeology, this essay will first outline the basic principles of cost-surface studies within GIS, and review the archaeological research that has employed cost-surface studies to varying ends. Following this, a discussion of the apparent methodological and theoretical shortcomings of cost-surface analysis will be presented. Overall, it will be demonstrated that cost-surface analyses can help archaeologists access past peoples’ subjective and cognitive understanding of their physical surroundings, though further development is needed before this goal can be fully realized.
"Behind the Roddick Gates" is an academic journal produced by McGill and the Redpath Museum. It i... more "Behind the Roddick Gates" is an academic journal produced by McGill and the Redpath Museum. It is a collection of papers, art, photography and thought pieces on Montreal and the Museum, sent in by members of the Redpath Museum Club.
It is widely accepted that building materials in central Cuzco were sourced from particular quarr... more It is widely accepted that building materials in central Cuzco were sourced from particular quarries, considered sacred in their own right, and incorporated into important structures in order to visually and physically tie them to the sacred landscape. Many Inca quarries that served Cuzco were distant and difficult to access, yet were generally favoured over more local stone sources. If building material selection was primarily determined by utilitarian considerations, this extensive network of stone exploitation would have been an unnecessary expenditure of resources, in terms of the labour and transportation costs such remote quarries would have incurred. Contrary to this, this paper will argue that the selection of stone was a careful and precise process, where factors such as size, colour, and workability contributed to the where and how stone was used in Inca construction projects. It will be demonstrated that the act of construction served the secondary, yet significant, function of actively communicating the wealth and power of the Inca elite, through the public display of the labour and resources at their command. In the construction of their capital city, the Inca consciously created a symbol of imperial permanence and power, a message that remains apparent to this day.
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