Ethnoarchaeology as a State of Mind

Bibliographic Data

ID19265643
AuthorsStefano Biagetti (0000-0003-0936-3070, University of the Witwatersrand), Jerimy Cunningham (University of Lethbridge), Burak Falay (0000-0002-0869-425X, Namık Kemal University), Maciej Kurcz (0000-0002-9505-7311, Jagiellonian University), C Lancelotti (0000-0003-1099-7329, Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Francesca Lugli (0000-0001-6908-5469, Italian Association for Cancer Research), Alessandra Manzini (0000-0002-5679-7827, CY Cergy Paris Université), Anne Mayor (0000-0002-3665-1804, University of Geneva), Henny Piezonka (0000-0002-5854-1323, Freie Universität Berlin), D Zurro (0000-0003-2498-9338, Institución Milá y Fontanals de Investigación en Humanidades)
Year2026
Volume60
Issue1
Publication date2026-06-23
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEthnographisch-archäologische Zeitschrift/Ethnographisch-archäologische Zeitschrift (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0012-7477 • E-ISSN: 2751-7233
PublisherUniversitatsbibliothek Kiel (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.54799/rixc6738
OpenAlexW7165631502
LanguageEN
References cited33

This paper reflects on ethnoarchaeology as a “state of mind” rather than a discrete methodological approach. Drawing on discussions from the “Ethnoarchaeology of Livelihood” conference held in Barcelona in 2024, we situate ethnoarchaeology within broader disciplinary debates on epistemology, social relevance, and the role of archaeology in a rapidly changing world. We engage with the historical development of ethnoarchaeology, highlighting its dual trajectory between particularistic, context-specific studies and cross-cultural, model-building approaches, as well as longstanding critiques concerning analogy, epistemological bias, and limited engagement with diverse knowledge systems. Building on these discussions, we develop a perspective in which ethnoarchaeology is understood as a reflexive and relational practice grounded in epistemological and ontological plurality. This perspective emphasizes dialogue between different forms of expertise, including Indigenous and local knowledge systems, and challenges extractive or asymmetrical research models. We argue that ethnoarchaeology can contribute to more inclusive and critically informed archaeological interpretations by foregrounding variation in the present, clarifying the limits of inference, and expanding interpretive possibilities. Ultimately, ethnoarchaeology, understood as a state of mind, offers a framework for engaging with difference, fostering collaborative knowledge production, and rethinking how archaeology relates to contemporary social and environmental challenges

Affordance · Discipline · Ethnoarchaeology · Foregrounding · Indigenous · Perspective (graphical) · Reflexivity · State (computer science) · Amazonian Archaeology and Ethnohistory · Archaeology and ancient environmental studies · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology

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