Archaeology of loneliness

Abstract

Although the study of emotions in archaeology has increased considerably in recent years, loneliness remains understudied. This paper aims to challenge that bias and demonstrate how identifying and exploring loneliness can provide invaluable insights into the human experience, enabling a greater understanding of past societies and their social dynamics. This study, bridging sciences and humanities, aims to promote a debate to address the gap in the archaeological study of loneliness. Taking an interdisciplinary approach, with insights from history, anthropology, and psychology, two case studies are presented using three different lines of archaeological analysis: one from architectural structures which contribute to the feeling of loneliness; one from lonely landscapes that may contribute to the same negative feeling; and one from the social (or individual) strategies used to fight that feeling.