Ethnoarchaeology in Italy

Abstract

It has been observed several times that there is no clear definition of what ethnoarchaeology actually is. However, it could be said this need to define ethnoarchaeology on a daily basis adds to the richness of this discipline, which constantly evaluates its connection to other scientific domains. It is undeniable that ethnoarchaeology has broken away from archaeology, enriching itself with new and wider perspectives. The analysis of formative processes of the archaeological record is no longer the fulcrum of ethnoarchaeological research, even if it is still of primary importance. Nowadays ethnoarchaeology is open to different themes that are still connected to each other, just like the mechanisms regulating relationships among individuals and their adapting to different lands and societies. Consequently, field research has become more varied and is no longer only connected to the field methods of archaeology. The comparison of archeological data with information from local informants is now a key aspect of research because it allows for the understanding of complex social and economic problems. Nowadays ethnoarchaeology can be considered a precious strategy of research in many different situations or cultural realities. For example, ethnoarchaeological research is clearly important in the study of nomadism and can give interpretative criteria for the development of archaeological pastoralism in the steppe regions. In fact, the possibility of studying the camps while they are in use or once they have been abandoned means that it is also possible to study the complexity of the socio-economic problems of pastoralism. Nevertheless, it is clear that ethnoarchaeological research is not only the use of ethnographic comparisons but that it is a field of research that comprehends the use of analogy. Discussions about ethnoarchaeology are also present in the Italian context of research.