Blurred Lines: Queering the divide between pre-historic and historic archaeology

Summary

The infamous divide between historic and pre-historic archaeology in the North American tradition often rests on the introduction of written texts or the arrival of Europeans to a region. With the division comes methodology that is considered acceptable by each group. Well-renowned archaeologists have discussed this divide in detail, yet we continue to maintain the boundaries due to lack of implementation of new theoretical/methodological paradigms. This paper discusses the queering of methodology with regards to analytical material used in pre-historic and historic archaeology, utilizing Hawaiian categorization as a case study. While the divisions allow for a semblance of conceptualization of the era under discussion for those unfamiliar with Hawai'i, the simplistic nature of this division and implications of labels erases the dynamic aspects of culture while introducing ethnocentric concepts. Queer theory assists with breaking down boundaries in favor of more inclusive analytical processes that recognize the importance of native voices.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2015   •
• Queering Historical Archaeology: Methods, Theory, and Practice

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 369