The construction and use of categories of Neolithic pottery from Wales
The thesis examines the Neolithic pottery from Wales and attempts to write a history of practices concerned with its construction and use. This work is undertaken from the standpoint that contingency, that is the constraints and possibilities of the history of objects, has a major role in their construction and use. The thesis begins with an examination of some ideas about contingency and history in archaeology, biological science, material culture studies, and philosophy to build a pragmatic methodology for the study of the material. This methodology is particularly based upon the ideas of Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Rorty. A discussion of the evidence for the Neolithic period in Wales is then followed by the application of this methodology to five regional study areas within Wales. Localised narratives about the construction and use of Neolithic pottery are produced for each region. The methodology is then applied to the study of the material from Wales as a whole to produce a more general narrative. This narrative is then related to the discussion of the period as a whole, and to previous categorisations of the Neolithic and the Neolithic in Wales. The thesis allows to addition of more precise chronological
Peterson, Richard Garvin
CC Archaeology
The construction and use of categories of Neolithic pottery from Wales. The thesis examines the Neolithic pottery from Wales and attempts to write a history of practices concerned with its construction and use. This work is undertaken from the standpoint that contingency, that is the constraints and possibilities of the history of objects, has a major role in their construction and use. The thesis begins with an examination of some ideas about contingency and history in archaeology, biological science, material culture studies, and philosophy to build a pragmatic methodology for the study of the material. This methodology is particularly based upon the ideas of Stephen Jay Gould and Richard Rorty. A discussion of the evidence for the Neolithic period in Wales is then followed by the application of this methodology to five regional study areas within Wales. Localised narratives about the construction and use of Neolithic pottery are produced for each region. The methodology is then applied to the study of the material from Wales as a whole to produce a more general narrative. This narrative is then related to the discussion of the period as a whole, and to previous categorisations of the Neolithic and the Neolithic in Wales. The thesis allows to addition of more precise chronological
construction use category neolithic pottery wales examines neolithic pottery wales attempt write_history practice concerned construction use work_undertaken standpoint contingency constraint possibility history object major_role construction use begin_examination ideas contingency history_archaeology biological science material_culture study philosophy build pragmatic study material particularly base_upon idea discussion evidence neolithic_period wales follow application regional study_area within wales localised narrative construction use neolithic_pottery produce region apply study material wales whole produce general narrative narrative related discussion period whole previous categorisation neolithic neolithic wales allow addition precise chronological