Journal
ANTIQUITY
Volume 96, Issue 388, Pages 955-967Publisher
CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS
DOI: 10.15184/aqy.2022.69
Keywords
Development-led archaeology; archaeological fingerprints; interpretation; negative evidence; positive evidence
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Large-scale development-led archaeology has altered archaeological datasets by introducing a wealth of negative evidence. The authors suggest that examining "fingerprints" of past human activity at a landscape scale can lead to new insights. This calls for changes in recording systems and better integration of positive and negative evidence.
Large-scale development-led archaeology has changed the very nature of archaeological datasets. In addition to the familiar positive evidence of structures and deposits, there is now a wealth of 'true-negative' evidence: the confirmed absence of archaeological remains. Making good use of such data presents a challenge and demands new ways of thinking. Using case studies based on recent developer-led work in the UK, the authors suggest that focusing on 'fingerprints' of past human activity at a landscape scale provides a useful approach. The results argue in favour of changes to existing recording systems, as well as the need to integrate more fully both positive and negative evidence in archaeological interpretation.
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