Introduction

Abstract

With the availability of secondary sources easily accessible through archives, there is a trend for some scholars to remediate the research of others, instead of undertaking primary research. It is understandable that archaeologists write about excavations they have not dug on, but basing archaeological narratives predominantly on secondary sources can perpetuate errors or misapprehensions and give new meaning to the phrase ‘the archaeological imagination’. The challenge for the discipline then becomes historiographical—sifting through networks of references between publications over time to an author that actually viewed an object or visited a site. This is where current approaches to art/archaeology differ. Many of those reaching across disciplines to explore this emergent collaborative field make a concerted effort to visit the contemporary undertakings of others. Artists take part in residency programmes on archaeological sites, and archaeologistsregularly attend exhibition openings featuring the work of artists. At times, both meet in undisciplined spaces between their practices, to explore new possibilities for making and interpreting the world.