Tales from The Ontological Tern : an examination of the role and meaning of faunal remains in the Neolithic long barrows of Wiltshire
Previous interpretations of Neolithic long barrow faunal deposits have commonly understood animals either in functionalist, economically determinist terms as resources for human exploitation, or as symbolic currency within human cosmologies, both approaches underpinned by an anthropocentric worldview. This is arguably unsurprising given that the same perspective has also informed the development of the zooarchaeological practices traditionally employed for their investigation, and is manifest in the standard suite of analyses deployed, analyses that seek to find evidence for such exploitation. That these perspectives are historically situated has remained largely unrecognised and undertheorized. This research explores human-animal relationships presenced in eight Neolithic long barrows in the modern county of Wiltshire from an expressly posthuman position that understands phenomena to be relationally emergent within assemblages, drawing on the work of Bennett (2010), DeLanda (2006), Deleuze and Guattari (2004), and Haraway (1991; 2008). Assemblages are multiple, multi-scalar, transient gatherings, transgressive of corporeal boundaries to permit the incorporation and consequent transformation of diverse phenomena.
Banfield, Emily Julia
Tales from The Ontological Tern : an examination of the role and meaning of faunal remains in the Neolithic long barrows of Wiltshire. Previous interpretations of Neolithic long barrow faunal deposits have commonly understood animals either in functionalist, economically determinist terms as resources for human exploitation, or as symbolic currency within human cosmologies, both approaches underpinned by an anthropocentric worldview. This is arguably unsurprising given that the same perspective has also informed the development of the zooarchaeological practices traditionally employed for their investigation, and is manifest in the standard suite of analyses deployed, analyses that seek to find evidence for such exploitation. That these perspectives are historically situated has remained largely unrecognised and undertheorized. This research explores human-animal relationships presenced in eight Neolithic long barrows in the modern county of Wiltshire from an expressly posthuman position that understands phenomena to be relationally emergent within assemblages, drawing on the work of Bennett (2010), DeLanda (2006), Deleuze and Guattari (2004), and Haraway (1991; 2008). Assemblages are multiple, multi-scalar, transient gatherings, transgressive of corporeal boundaries to permit the incorporation and consequent transformation of diverse phenomena.
ontological examination role mean faunal_remains neolithic long barrows wiltshire previous_interpretation neolithic long barrow faunal deposit commonly understood animal either functionalist economically term resource human exploitation symbolic currency within human cosmology approach underpin anthropocentric worldview arguably unsurprising give perspective also inform_development zooarchaeological practice traditionally employ investigation manifest standard suite analysis deploy analyse seek evidence exploitation perspective historically situate remain_largely unrecognised explores human_animal_relationship neolithic long barrows modern county wiltshire expressly position understands phenomena emergent within assemblage draw work deleuze_guattari person assemblages multiple multi_scalar transient gathering transgressive corporeal boundary permit incorporation consequent transformation diverse phenomenon