Talk by DAAD Fellowship Sébastian Plutniak
Oct 22, 2020 from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM
BBB
Talk 'Fragmentation, layers admixture, and refitting: a methodological attempt to bind the discrete and fuzzy aspects of archaeological knowledge'
Sébastien Plutniak who is currently DAAD fellow in Kiel, will give a talk on his recent work. We plan to a physical talk in Leibnizstraße and a BBB stream. Please let us know beforehand, if you would like to participate physically. The talk will be streamed on Big Blue Bottom.
Abstract:
The determination of spatial discrete units (e.g. stratigraphical layers, "structures") inside the mass of larger entities (e.g. the "site") is one of the crucial steps of any archaeological investigation. However, the boundaries of such entities are fuzzy. Consequently, stabilising their definition generally relies on an agreement among archaeologists, based on the cross-examination of multiple aspects (direct observation, artefacts distribution, soil chemistry, geoarcheology, etc.). The study of the relationships between fragments of objects which are parts of the same original object ("refitting") has a particular status to this regard: it enables one of the most (if not the most) certain reconstruction of past states of the world which are possible in archeology. Based on this assumption, the first step of this research requires a close examination of the available methods for "refitting" analysis. This led to the development of a new way to model the relationships between fragments, which first application concerns the measurement of the admixture of two spatial units (e.g. layers). This approach was implemented into the "archeofrag" R package, which will be the basis for this presentation. While focusing on methodological aspects, their conceptual and theoretical implications will also be suggested.
Please contact the ROOTS Office or Oliver Nakoinz for the login details to the videoconference.
