Observation, analogy, experimentation and rehabilitation during archaeological excavations

Editors: Gheorghiu, D. and Bouissac, P.

Pages: 93-110

Publisher: Cambridge Scholars Publishing

Place of Publication: Cambridge

ISBN: 978-1-4438-7131-0

Abstract:

Interpreting archaeological remains in the field during the progress of an excavation is increasingly important as a means of testing and selecting between possibilities. Analogy and observations of other situations, experimentation through partial reconstruction, and the rehabitation of features and structures with people provide powerful approaches that can aid the archaeological process as well as the resulting interpretations. This is especially relevant to issues such as engagement, experience, vision, alignment, and landscape setting as well as sensory matters such as light/darkness, space, and movement. Excavations at Billown in Isle of Man provide a case study of rehabitation experiments and their implications.

Source: Manual