Big Sites, Big Questions, Big Data, Big Problems: Scales of Investigation and Changing Perceptions of Archaeological Practice in the Southeastern United States
Since at least the 1930s, archaeological investigations in the southeastern United States have placed a priority on expansive, near-complete, excavations of major sites throughout the region. Although there are considerable advantages to such large–scale excavations, projects conducted at this scale...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Ubiquity Press
2014-08-01
|
| Series: | Bulletin of the History of Archaeology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.archaeologybulletin.org/article/view/540 |
| _version_ | 1818678522580828160 |
|---|---|
| author | Cameron B Wesson John W Cottier |
| author_facet | Cameron B Wesson John W Cottier |
| author_sort | Cameron B Wesson |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Since at least the 1930s, archaeological investigations in the southeastern United States have placed a priority on expansive, near-complete, excavations of major sites throughout the region. Although there are considerable advantages to such large–scale excavations, projects conducted at this scale are also accompanied by a series of challenges regarding the comparability, integrity, and consistency of data recovery, analysis, and publication. We examine the history of large–scale excavations in the southeast in light of traditional views within the discipline that the region has contributed little to the ‘big questions’ of American archaeology. Recently published analyses of decades old data derived from Southeastern sites reveal both the positive and negative aspects of field research conducted at scales much larger than normally undertaken in archaeology. Furthermore, given the present trend toward the use of big data in the social sciences, we predict an increased use of large pre–existing datasets developed during the New Deal and other earlier periods of archaeological practice throughout the region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T09:16:36Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-249330436b6345ecbb96462d94f93294 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1062-4740 2047-6930 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T09:16:36Z |
| publishDate | 2014-08-01 |
| publisher | Ubiquity Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Bulletin of the History of Archaeology |
| spelling | doaj.art-249330436b6345ecbb96462d94f932942022-12-21T21:54:56ZengUbiquity PressBulletin of the History of Archaeology1062-47402047-69302014-08-0124010.5334/bha.2416533Big Sites, Big Questions, Big Data, Big Problems: Scales of Investigation and Changing Perceptions of Archaeological Practice in the Southeastern United StatesCameron B Wesson0John W Cottier1Lehigh UniversityDept of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work Auburn UniversitySince at least the 1930s, archaeological investigations in the southeastern United States have placed a priority on expansive, near-complete, excavations of major sites throughout the region. Although there are considerable advantages to such large–scale excavations, projects conducted at this scale are also accompanied by a series of challenges regarding the comparability, integrity, and consistency of data recovery, analysis, and publication. We examine the history of large–scale excavations in the southeast in light of traditional views within the discipline that the region has contributed little to the ‘big questions’ of American archaeology. Recently published analyses of decades old data derived from Southeastern sites reveal both the positive and negative aspects of field research conducted at scales much larger than normally undertaken in archaeology. Furthermore, given the present trend toward the use of big data in the social sciences, we predict an increased use of large pre–existing datasets developed during the New Deal and other earlier periods of archaeological practice throughout the region.http://www.archaeologybulletin.org/article/view/540Southeastern U.S.big dataNew Deal Archaeologymethod and theoryresearch design |
| spellingShingle | Cameron B Wesson John W Cottier Big Sites, Big Questions, Big Data, Big Problems: Scales of Investigation and Changing Perceptions of Archaeological Practice in the Southeastern United States Bulletin of the History of Archaeology Southeastern U.S. big data New Deal Archaeology method and theory research design |
| title | Big Sites, Big Questions, Big Data, Big Problems: Scales of Investigation and Changing Perceptions of Archaeological Practice in the Southeastern United States |
| title_full | Big Sites, Big Questions, Big Data, Big Problems: Scales of Investigation and Changing Perceptions of Archaeological Practice in the Southeastern United States |
| title_fullStr | Big Sites, Big Questions, Big Data, Big Problems: Scales of Investigation and Changing Perceptions of Archaeological Practice in the Southeastern United States |
| title_full_unstemmed | Big Sites, Big Questions, Big Data, Big Problems: Scales of Investigation and Changing Perceptions of Archaeological Practice in the Southeastern United States |
| title_short | Big Sites, Big Questions, Big Data, Big Problems: Scales of Investigation and Changing Perceptions of Archaeological Practice in the Southeastern United States |
| title_sort | big sites big questions big data big problems scales of investigation and changing perceptions of archaeological practice in the southeastern united states |
| topic | Southeastern U.S. big data New Deal Archaeology method and theory research design |
| url | http://www.archaeologybulletin.org/article/view/540 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT cameronbwesson bigsitesbigquestionsbigdatabigproblemsscalesofinvestigationandchangingperceptionsofarchaeologicalpracticeinthesoutheasternunitedstates AT johnwcottier bigsitesbigquestionsbigdatabigproblemsscalesofinvestigationandchangingperceptionsofarchaeologicalpracticeinthesoutheasternunitedstates |