Abstract
This chapter introduces the concept and object of buried culture and positions it on the dark side of the excavated archaeological object. It is an asocial mode of culture which consists of being embedded in the ground. It is nonhuman and best articulated in aesthetic terms of structure, form, and texture. Drawing on two case studies, I explore what it might mean to shift from the “standard” human-centred, historical reading of excavated deposits to one that is formal and aesthetic, illustrating how it entails illuminating a side of the archaeological object, which is often left in the dark. The discussion uses these observations as a springboard for considering the different value systems practically and ideologically embodied in the two programmes, underscoring how one is many.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Shadow Archaeologies |
| Subtitle of host publication | In the Shadow of Antiquity or for Other Modes of Archaeological Worldmaking |
| Publisher | Taylor and Francis |
| Pages | 312-326 |
| Number of pages | 15 |
| ISBN (Electronic) | 9781040366639 |
| ISBN (Print) | 9781032644479 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1 Jan 2025 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2026 selection and editorial matter, Assaf Nativ and Gavin Lucas; individual chapters, the contributors.
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Social Sciences
- General Arts and Humanities