The Hollow Men? A Reply to Steven Mithen

Bibliographic Data

ID11619883
AuthorsJulian Thomas (0000-0002-2907-4586)
Year1991
Volume57
Issue2
Pages15-20
Publication date1991-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueProceedings of the Prehistoric Society (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0079-497X • E-ISSN: 2050-2729
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0079497x00004473
OpenAlexW2137610778
LanguageEN
Citations received11
References cited18

This article constitutes a reply to a piece by Steven Mithen, in which an earlier contribution in this journal (Thomas 1988) is criticized as misrepresenting the character of Mesolithic archaeology. Mithen contends that the ‘processual’ archaeology which dominates that period can be humanized by introducing a consideration of emotion into the adaptive process. In this contribution it is suggested that the emphasis on emotion and rationality betrays a misunderstanding of the character of ‘post-processual’ archaeology, while the attempt to encompass emotion in an evolutionary ecological framework does no more than extend the remit of an inherently reductionist perspective. Emphasis is laid upon the notions of history and contextualized social action, and it is recognized that these concepts cannot be accommodated unless we allow that the fundamental characteristics of humanity are not fixed, but are themselves contingent and historically situated

Action (physics · Character (mathematics · Epistemology · Humanity · Perspective (graphical · Rationality · Reductionism · Situated · Social character · Social science · Sociology · Anthropological Studies and Insights · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · Computer Science · Emotions and Moral Behavior · Philosophy

Tools

Open DOISci-Hub