(DOWNLOAD) "Truth Dwells in the Deeps: Southwestern Oral Traditions and Archaeological Interpretations." by Journal of the Southwest " Book PDF Kindle ePub Free
eBook details
- Title: Truth Dwells in the Deeps: Southwestern Oral Traditions and Archaeological Interpretations.
- Author : Journal of the Southwest
- Release Date : January 22, 2004
- Genre: Social Science,Books,Nonfiction,
- Pages : * pages
- Size : 215 KB
Description
There is considerable scholarly discussion on the feasibility of using American Indian traditional narratives or oral traditions as data in archaeological interpretations (Anyon et al. 1997; Echo-Hawk 2000; Mason 2000; Schaafsma and Schaafsma 1996; Swidler et al. 1997). In part, the discussion has been precipitated by the interpretation of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) as meaning that archaeologists must take oral traditions into account when constructing culture histories. While NAGPRA applies only in the United States, the issues have much wider relevance to the general dispute between science and religion. Some of these issues have previously been addressed by quantum theory physicists, especially Werner Heisenberg and Niels Bohr, and a review of their perspectives may be of assistance in the discussion on native traditions and archaeology. In particular, Bohr's notions about complementarity provide grounds for accepting a multitude of interpretations about the past without demanding that any one of them be uniquely allowable. The flexibility demanded in order to accommodate new empirical data in scientific interpretations cautions scientific archaeologists that truth is elusive, and as Heisenberg claimed Niels Bohr was fond of saying, "Truth dwells in the deeps" (1972, 209-10). In essence, I would like to expand upon that summation in the light of the opinion of Anyon and others: In order to discuss these issues, it is essential to determine what data refers to in scientific contexts; that is, to consider the philosophical requirements that scientists place upon data. The nature of interpretation in archaeological culture histories has to be considered also. From these considerations it should become clear why archaeologists are wary of using traditional narratives as data. Finally, I maintain that archaeologists should acclimate themselves to other views of the past that, while "data poor," support the ethical systems that sustain people's lives.
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