Gonciar. Recognizing Emotion in Archaeological Record.

[jyfae]

Andre Gonciar.
Excavating the invisible: recognizing emotion in the archaeological record
Wednesday, 11 November, 2009, 6-7pm
MFAC 355


sherd <-- broken pot <-- gesture that broke the pot <-- emotion that caused the gesture that broke the pot
emotions --> empathic frames/motivational drives --> social constructions --> social agency

emotion must be separated from agent

primary emotion - presentational

primary agent --> emotional behavior --> emotional artifact --> secondary target
individual (atypical) <--> normative, ritualized

archaeologists <--> interpretation <--> explanation <--> identification <--> recognition <--> archaeological record

methodology:
1 - empathic rationalization / identification ("empathy" = making shit up?)
2 - sec... normative socio-cultural parameters
3 - recognize emotional event. these are deviations from norm
4 - re-contextualization
5 - interpretation
6 - extrapolation: rituals and taboos

case study: late bronze age, NSCC (Noua-Sabatinovka Coslogeni Complex). Romania. Dude was buried with his hands wrapped around a pot.

(Rigor mortis - sets in 6-12 hours after death. then disappears 70 hours after death. huh.)