Land and society : the Bronze Age cairnfields and field systems of Britain
This thesis considers the archaeological remains of field systems and cairnfields as evidence for changes in the relations between land and society during the second millennium BC. The theoretical argument aims to demonstrate that the relations between land and society were complex historical processes constituted through the mediation and transformation of structural conditions by social agents. The argument considers ideas, prevalent in critiques of modernity, that break down distinctions between modem and nonmodem, and between culture and nature. These ideas are applied to a theory of practice, which, it is argued, can best be served by allowing for the existence of nonhuman agency as a folk conc.ept within nonmodem ontologies. Based on this theoretical framework and using ethnographic examples, it is argued that the concept of 'land tenure' is a sociological term that equates closely with agency. The changing forms of land tenure that characterise the Bronze Age can be shown to have distinctive and regionalised historical trajectories. This is demonstrated in two case studies. (1) A study of the structural sequences of excavated cairnfields in northern England reveals that a clear distinction cannot be
Johnston, Robert Alexander
Tenure; Boundaries
Land and society : the Bronze Age cairnfields and field systems of Britain. This thesis considers the archaeological remains of field systems and cairnfields as evidence for changes in the relations between land and society during the second millennium BC. The theoretical argument aims to demonstrate that the relations between land and society were complex historical processes constituted through the mediation and transformation of structural conditions by social agents. The argument considers ideas, prevalent in critiques of modernity, that break down distinctions between modem and nonmodem, and between culture and nature. These ideas are applied to a theory of practice, which, it is argued, can best be served by allowing for the existence of nonhuman agency as a folk conc.ept within nonmodem ontologies. Based on this theoretical framework and using ethnographic examples, it is argued that the concept of 'land tenure' is a sociological term that equates closely with agency. The changing forms of land tenure that characterise the Bronze Age can be shown to have distinctive and regionalised historical trajectories. This is demonstrated in two case studies. (1) A study of the structural sequences of excavated cairnfields in northern England reveals that a clear distinction cannot be
land_society bronze_age field system britain considers archaeological_remain field_system evidence change relation land_society second_millennium theoretical argument aim relation land_society complex historical_process constitute mediation transformation structural condition social agent argument considers idea prevalent critique modernity break distinction modem culture nature idea apply theory_practice argue best serve allow existence nonhuman agency folk concept within ontology based theoretical_framework use_ethnographic example argue concept land_tenure sociological term equate closely agency change form land_tenure characterise bronze_age show distinctive historical trajectory demonstrate two_case study study structural sequence excavate northern_england reveals clear_distinction