Formation Processes
Refuse deposited where an object was last used
Primary deposition
The idea that leaving a site is socially meaningful
Ritualized abandonment
The problem of relying too heavily on texts
Textual bias or over-reliance on written sources
The difference between a house and a household
The house is a physical structure whereas a household is the social group living there
Why do house floors rarely reflect daily routines?
Because of cleaning, maintenance, and movement of objects
A ritual act meant to end a house’s social life
decommissioning rituals
A bias caused by seeing patterns too quickly
Confirmation bias
Why are smaller or temporary households are hard to find?
They leave fewer material traces
A process that removes material from the archaeological record
Destruction or decay or post-depositional disturbance
One way abandoned sites can remain socially active
Memory, storytelling, or continued use of space
Why context is considered an interpretive claim
Because context reflects human decisions, not objective truths
The question archaeologists use to define “inside”
What counts as domestic space?