New archaeology 2-2

Processual archaeology or "the new archaeology"

led by Lewis Binford in the 1960's, this was a critique of the culture history method of "describing" a culture. Binford argued that we should not identify cultures and place them in a chronological period alone, but we should "Explain" why that culture was manifested in that way. To explain processes of culture change, we need to take a positivist approach. this means we must be scientific, develop hypothesis that can be tested, gather data, and test them! this also involves

Systems theory, the idea that culture is a system with subsystems that interplay to form processes. these systems can be broken down into mathematical units and statistically analyzed to identify patterns. Middle range theory is a big player here as well. this is the idea that we can find similar patterns, be it in the archaeological record, or through ethnoarchaeological analogy, that reveals the processes of how archaeological material ends up manifested as it does. the goal is to be able to form generalizations in cultural processes, otherwise known as laws in other scientific fields. this scientific approach leads to "objective" conclusions.

Post-Processual

The post processualists were mainly a critique of the processulists claims of "objective" conclusions.

Ian Hodder, michael shanks, and others, argued that we can never come to an objective conclusion. political and social biases will always show through.
they also argue that the individual is left out in the processual methods. the agencies of individuals are just as likely to create culture and bring about change through symbols and material items. therefore, archaeology needs a subjective, or interpretive approach that acknowledges the individuals role.

Processual archaeology has a method, the scientific approach to reach objective conclusions about cultural processes.

Post Processual archaeology really only critiqued that method. the researchers from that camp have interpretive methods of their own, but they never actually countered the processual method with what they would call a better one.

Culture change may be due to processes like climate change or ecology chagnge this happened coz that happened

Post processuralism says culure changes due to individual, their meaning, human nature. may’ve stumbled upon or change life due to competition or invent irrigation