2 Matching Annotations
  1. Jan 2025
    1. "It is inevitable that all history is a human construction. Any attempt to explain or derive a narrative from the evidence of the past is a subjective, selective activity. What two individuals would explain the modern world in the same way today, even with all the evidence to hand and an understanding of the cultural references of that material?"

      While the authors suggest historical interpretation is inherently subjective, one could argue that rigorous methodologies and standardized analytical approaches could lead to more objective understandings of the past, even if perfect objectivity remains unattainable.

    2. "The interaction between humans and their environment operates over a number of differ- ent spatial and temporal scales (Table 1.1). Long-term processes that lead to the evolution of plants and animals, the extinction of particu- lar organisms and changes within biotic communities include climate (e.g. glacial- interglacial cycles), soil development (e.g. pod- zolization), succession (e.g. arctic-tundra to woodland) and human impact (e.g. since the inception of prehistoric agricultural practices to the present day)."

      This excerpt is important because it establishes the fundamental framework for understanding environmental archaeology. It emphasizes how human-environment interactions must be studied across multiple scales, from short-term local changes to long-term global processes. This multi-scale perspective is crucial for properly interpreting archaeological evidence and understanding how human societies both shaped and were shaped by their environments over time.