Exploring the Intersection of Ethnography and Technology: Understanding the Evolution of Human Technologies through Ethnographic Research: An Introduction

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Exploring the Intersection of Ethnography and Technology: Understanding the Evolution of Human Technologies through Ethnographic Research" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Ethnographic research has profoundly enriched our understanding of the evolution of human material culture and technology. This symposium assembles a series of studies that delve into the intricate interplay between ethnography and the archaeological study of human technology, underscoring the potential of ethnographic insights to reveal the invisible characteristics of the archaeological record. These studies illustrate how ethnography can be instrumental in formulating hypotheses about past technologies and the less tangible aspects of technological development. Furthermore, this symposium seeks to emphasize the critical role of ethnography in employing an integrative evolutionary approach to human culture. We delve into ethnographic cases that demonstrate how this line of research can either guide or challenge our interpretations of various technologies, spanning from the Paleolithic era to the Maya civilization and North American Indigenous cultures, as well as our broader understanding of past human behavior.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Exploring the Intersection of Ethnography and Technology: Understanding the Evolution of Human Technologies through Ethnographic Research   •
• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 52542