Behavioral archaeology studies material culture by examining how human behavior interacts with objects, structures, and environments over time. It focuses on understanding the relationships between people and material things, emphasizing how artifacts are used, modified, and discarded in different social and environmental contexts.
Key aspects of behavioral archaeology’s approach to material culture include:
- Systemic vs. Archaeological Contexts – It distinguishes between the systemic context (how objects are used in their original settings) and the archaeological context (how they appear in the archaeological record after being discarded, buried, or altered by natural and cultural processes).
- Formation Processes – It studies cultural and natural formation processes that affect artifacts, including manufacturing, use, maintenance, and disposal, as well as post-depositional changes like erosion or decay.
- Experimental and Ethnoarchaeology – Behavioral archaeologists often conduct experiments (such as tool replication and use-wear analysis) and ethnographic studies (observing contemporary societies) to understand past human behaviors and technological choices.
- Middle-Range Theory – It applies middle-range theories to link modern observations to past behaviors, helping to interpret material remains more accurately.
- Quantitative Methods – Many behavioral archaeologists use statistical and mathematical models to analyze patterns in material culture, such as artifact distributions or wear patterns.