Reinvent, Reclaim, Redefine: Considerations of "Reuse" in Archaeological Contexts

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Reinvent, Reclaim, Redefine: Considerations of "Reuse" in Archaeological Contexts" at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Reuse is often seen as a sustainable behavior, invoking ideas of conservation or even renewal in contemporary contexts. As an ongoing practice, reuse also plays a role in archaeological contexts—where materials such as ceramic, metal, stone, and wood can be changed, reassembled, recontextualized with varying temporalities. These periods of reuse can complicate how we understand the past at multiple scales, from individual objects up to the reuse and repurpose of spaces. To navigate these practices, archaeologists use a variety of frameworks—object biographies, itineraries, palimpsests, etc.—to conceptualize these shifting uses. By placing various approaches to archaeological material reuse into conversation, it is possible to interrogate how these frameworks are used and how the various contexts, engagements, and power structures associated with reuse can be understood archaeologically.