excavation by Matt Edgeworth
Contemporary Philosophy for Maritime Archaeology: Flat Ontologies, Oceanic Thought, and the Anthropocene. Sara A. Rich & Peter B. Campbell (eds). Leiden: Sidestone Press, 2023
Recent anthropogenic deposits at a landfill site next to the River Thames, near London, are being... more Recent anthropogenic deposits at a landfill site next to the River Thames, near London, are being eroded by tidal surges. As plastics and other formerly buried materials are washed away by the tides, the edge of the remaining mass of human-modified ground takes the form of a receding near-vertical face or ‘section’. This eroding section through a dynamic stratigraphy is emblematic of the Anthropocene in more ways than one.
Historical Archaeology and Environment by Marcos Andre Torres de Souza and Diogo Menezes Costa (Eds) , 2018
The totality of archaeological strata or humanly modified ground is taken here to comprise a glob... more The totality of archaeological strata or humanly modified ground is taken here to comprise a global-scale stratigraphic entity called 'the archaeosphere'. Normally characterized in relatively passive and static terms as a mere record or residue of past human action, the archaeosphere is shown to be an extremely vibrant and active set of deposits. The many interactions, influences and impacts of such ground on other parts of ecological systems are briefly examined. It is concluded that though the archaeosphere was partly created, transformed and extended by humans, it is now so substantial it can be regarded as having an independent existence in its own right. Forming part of the landscape, as the very ground itself, it has become an environmental entity, shaping other things as much as it is shaped by them. As the accumulation of a multiplicity of tiny effects, added together to make a global force, the archaeosphere will continue to have powers of distributed material agency and thus the capacity to generate ecological effects far into the future, even in a post-human world.
Edgeworth, M. 2017. Excavating a taskscape, flowscape and ceramiscene in the Black Country. In Rajala, U. Philip Mills (eds). Forms of Dwelling: 20 Years of Taskscapes in Archaeology. Oxford: Oxbow, 252-267.
This paper recounts the excavation of a pottery production site in terms of taskscapes, flowscap... more This paper recounts the excavation of a pottery production site in terms of taskscapes, flowscapes and ceramiscenes.
2013 The clearing: archaeology's way of opening the world. In Alfredo Gonzales Ruibal (ed.). Reclaiming Archaeology: Beyond the tropes of modernity. London: Routledge., 33-43
Archaeologists do not have to look to external theory to kick-start the interpretation of materia... more Archaeologists do not have to look to external theory to kick-start the interpretation of material remains. Greater confidence can be placed in the meanings which emerge from our most basic encounters with archaeological evidence, which impart a direction and trajectory to research from the very outset– realigning applied ideas and giving impetus to new intellectual currents. Such emergent meanings already have intrinsic movement and vibrancy, deriving from a strong grounding in an unfolding material world opened up through excavation and direct contact with things. This paper explores the ways in which
archaeologists follow the rhythms and flows of cuts, artefacts and other material entities.
In Carusi , A., Hoel, A.S., Webmoor, T. and S. Woolgar (eds). 2015. Visualization in the Age of Computerization. Routledge Studies in Science, Technology and Society (this is a pre-publication version)
This paper explores how the use of computers by archaeologists is transforming the profession and... more This paper explores how the use of computers by archaeologists is transforming the profession and bringing about new forms of archaeological discovery in digital space.
The philosophical movement known as speculative realism (SR) has much in common with archaeology.... more The philosophical movement known as speculative realism (SR) has much in common with archaeology. As well as a shared concern with objects and with time, both have orientations towards an external reality that exists (or existed) outside the domain of human knowledge. This paper explores overlaps and commonalities in these two very different types of investigation. Proceeding from an archaeological perspective, it critically assesses the relevance of some of the key ideas of SR for archaeology, while also looking at ways in which these can be challenged, honed, adapted and transformed through encounters with archaeological objects. It asks the question, what can archaeology usefully contribute to the SR project?
Keywords: arche-fossil; hyperobject; object-oriented ontology; speculative realism; time
Taking inspiration from the work of 19th century geologist Eduard Suess, this paper explores the ... more Taking inspiration from the work of 19th century geologist Eduard Suess, this paper explores the changing urban ground of Vienna, and the relevance of Suess's work on the Schuttdecke for contemporary debate on the anthropocene
flow by Matt Edgeworth
Holt, Emily (ed) Water and Power in Past Societies, Albany: SUNY Press , 2018
The historic river heritage of England and Wales constitutes a vast material infrastructure, the... more The historic river heritage of England and Wales constitutes a vast material infrastructure, the structures and layouts of which - though inherited from the past - have potential to be re-used for small-scale hydro-power production in the present and into the future.
Kelly, J. et al (eds) Rivers of the Anthropocene, 2017
questions the validity of dictionary definitions of rivers in the contemporary world, and consid... more questions the validity of dictionary definitions of rivers in the contemporary world, and considers the Chicago River as a hyperobject.
Fluid Pasts: Archaeology of Flow
Fluid Pasts outlines an archaeological approach to the study of rivers, challenging the view that... more Fluid Pasts outlines an archaeological approach to the study of rivers, challenging the view that rivers are somehow more natural, less cultural than other kinds of material evidence. In bringing archaeological perspectives to flowing water, as opposed to static and solid objects, the book follows water from rivers along numerous channels to the many archaeological sites where running water was utilised or built into designs and layouts, or where other kinds of flow have left material traces. A focus on flow changes our perception of otherwise ordinary sites and landscapes, its very nature prompting us to think about the material world differently, and to develop more dynamic and fluid forms of analysis.
Leary, J (ed). 2014. Past Mobilities: archaeological approaches to movement and mobility. Ashgate Press, Farnham pp 83-97.
explores the material flows running through landscapes, showing how these are deeply enmeshed wit... more explores the material flows running through landscapes, showing how these are deeply enmeshed with mobilities of people and animals.
http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displayJournal?jid=ARD
Explores the contribution that rivers can make to our understanding of material agency.
The general proposition put forward in this introductory chapter is that rivers should be regarde... more The general proposition put forward in this introductory chapter is that rivers should be regarded as dynamic entanglements of nature and culture. If considered purely as natural systems, their cultural dimension gets excluded. If considered as cultural artefacts through and through, their wild aspect is neglected. It goes on to argue that those branches of archaeology which take ‘land’ as their subject (whether the ‘landscape’ or ‘wetland’ variety) should encompass dynamic liquid flows – including flows of solid material eroded, carried and deposited by water – within their remit.
Considerations of flow can transform interpretation of otherwise fragmented and disconnected land... more Considerations of flow can transform interpretation of otherwise fragmented and disconnected landscapes.
An unusual river feature visible in the form of a linear ‘underwater cropmark’ is identified as a... more An unusual river feature visible in the form of a linear ‘underwater cropmark’ is identified as a medieval weir. The probable relationship of the weir with a Late Saxon defensive ditch and bank running round the outer boundary of southern Bedford is discussed. Although the weir is not physically contiguous with the earthwork, the connection between them can be explored, it is argued, through patterns of flow.
An exploration of connections between apparently disparate features of an archaeological landscap... more An exploration of connections between apparently disparate features of an archaeological landscape. Provides an example of a town whose urban origins, layout and development were shaped around what seems to be a pre-existing broad droveway dating from the middle Saxon period.
Is archaeological investigation of objects and landscapes a kind of reverse engineering?
This pa... more Is archaeological investigation of objects and landscapes a kind of reverse engineering?
This paper is a response to an original paper on archaeology and reverse engineering by Gabriel Moshenska
Scale by Matt Edgeworth
Archaeological Dialogues, 2018
There are three principal aspects of the archaeological object that urgently need to be reapprais... more There are three principal aspects of the archaeological object that urgently need to be reappraised: 1) temporal range, 2) spatial scale, and 3) ecological effectivity
It used to be the case that archaeological features and artifacts were principally on a human sca... more It used to be the case that archaeological features and artifacts were principally on a human scale. But that familiar world is changing fast. As archaeology extends its range of focus further forward in time its subject matter is moving beyond human proportions. Developments in macro- and micro-engineering mean that artifacts are no longer limited in size by physical limitations of the body. As scale and impact of material culture extends outwards and inwards in both macroscopic and microscopic directions, the perspectives of contemporary archaeology must change in order to keep track.
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excavation by Matt Edgeworth
archaeologists follow the rhythms and flows of cuts, artefacts and other material entities.
Keywords: arche-fossil; hyperobject; object-oriented ontology; speculative realism; time
flow by Matt Edgeworth
This paper is a response to an original paper on archaeology and reverse engineering by Gabriel Moshenska
Scale by Matt Edgeworth