Interrogating Networks: Investigating Networks of Knowledge in Antiquity

Network theory and methodologies have become essential in exploring social, economic, and political relationships and connections in past societies. However, in archaeology, the deployment of networks has often been more descriptive than analytical, simplifying complex and multi-faceted relationships. This volume aims to interrogate the interpretative potential of network concepts for understanding the movement over time and space of ideas about making, using, and moving things through archaeological case studies, revealing both functional and dysfunctional relationships. It contributes to the search for greater understanding of the movement and transmission of knowledge and debates about how best to expand the utility of network concepts and approaches.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 144 pages
Publication date: 06 May 2021
Publisher: Oxbow Books

Network theory and methodologies have gained significant importance in exploring and explaining social, economic, and political relationships and connections in past societies. However, in the field of archaeology, the deployment of networks has often been more descriptive than analytical. Methodologies have often relied on underlying assumptions that simplify complex and multifaceted relationships. Nevertheless, the fragmentary, heterogeneous, and often proxy data we possess are not always amenable to reconstructing the full complexity of these relationships.

In ancient societies, our understanding of the movement of knowledge about how to make things primarily stems from objects themselves. This is because we often lack direct evidence of the human relationships that intertwined people with objects and their makers, resulting in an imperfect understanding of the diverse factors that shaped these networks.

The chapters in this volume seek to interrogate the interpretative potential of network concepts for understanding the movement over time and space of ideas about making, using, and moving things through a range of archaeological case studies. These case studies reveal both functional and dysfunctional relationships, highlighting the complexities and multifaceted nature of these networks.

The purpose of this volume is to consider how more broadly contextualized and multi-faceted studies can enhance and be enhanced by network and related approaches. By exploring the movement and transmission of knowledge (or, in some cases, their absence), the volume contributes to the search for greater understanding of the dynamics of knowledge creation, dissemination, and transformation.

Furthermore, it engages in debates about how best to expand the utility of network concepts and approaches in archaeological research. By adopting a holistic and interdisciplinary perspective, the volume seeks to bridge the gap between different fields and disciplines, fostering a deeper understanding of the complex processes that shaped human societies and societies throughout history.

Weight: 366g
Dimension: 171 x 239 x 12 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781789256277