Author, as appears in the article.: Hortolà, P.
Department: Història i Història de l'Art
URV's Author/s: Hortolà i Gómez, Policarp
Keywords: Western cape Use-wear analysis Use-wear Traceologia Stone-age sequence Southeast-asia Residus orgànics Residue analysis Raw-material Prehistoric archaeology Material culture Knowledge Identification Diepkloof rock shelter Cultura material Conservation science Chaine-operatoire approach Art Arqueologia prehistòrica Antropologia aborigen Aboriginal anthropology
Abstract: In research on prehistoric and aboriginal technology, terms such as 'replica', 'reproduction' or 'imitation' are still used as generic labels for (non-original) experimental objects, their intended meaning becoming potentially confusing. Because the implementation of a standard terminology is required in order to allow individuals involved in research on prehistoric and aboriginal technology to speak the same language, an experimental artefact terminology, based on alpha-taxonomy and the chaîne opératoire, is presented. In this terminology, alpha-taxonomy takes into account three stages of the operational scheme of the chaîne opératoire as couplets: (1) the raw material used, (2) the method employed for shaping a given object, and (3) its resulting final shape. Additionally, a registry code suitable for labelling experimental artefacts is also presented. Although the lexicon presented in this paper does not intend to solve all the problems related to experimental artefacts in prehistoric and aboriginal technology, it represents a user-friendly approach to experimental realities, by establishing a shared language¿which, to date, has still not been implemented¿for experimental items. While this terminology and code system are primarily addressed to prehistoric and aboriginal technologists concerned with experimental work, they are equally relevant to museum curators and can also be of value to individuals involved in many other human endeavours, from the contemporary-art trade to the mechanics industry.
Thematic Areas: Historia Geosciences, multidisciplinary Geociências Ciencias sociales Ciencias humanas Archeology (arts and humanities) Archeology Archaeology Antropologia / arqueologia Antropología Anthropology
licence for use: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/es/
Author's mail: policarp.hortola@urv.cat
Author identifier: 0000-0003-2867-6531
Record's date: 2024-09-07
Papper version: info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersion
Link to the original source: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12520-016-0332-1
Licence document URL: https://repositori.urv.cat/ca/proteccio-de-dades/
Papper original source: Archaeological And Anthropological Sciences. 10 (1): 31-40
APA: Hortolà, P. (2018). Experimental artefacts in research on prehistoric and aboriginal technology: a standardised terminology and registry code based on alpha-taxonomy and the chaîne opératoire. Archaeological And Anthropological Sciences, 10(1), 31-40. DOI: 10.1007/s12520-016-0332-1
Article's DOI: 10.1007/s12520-016-0332-1
Entity: Universitat Rovira i Virgili
Journal publication year: 2018
Publication Type: Journal Publications