Knowing why artifacts vary gives some idea of the kinds of questions about the past that can be answered from the artifacts. Perhaps the most common question asked is what was an artifact used for? Sometimes the answer is relatively easy because the artifact is similar to something used today. For example, the frequency of occurrence of items such as that in Figure 7 in Viking sites and their similarity to our hair combs means that such items can be convincingly argued to be used for the same purpose. However, the older the artifact, the more difficult it is to make such convincing analogies. Interpretation of the function of, for example, a stone artifact from the deep past depends on analogies made with modern stone tool using groups (see Ethnoarchaeology), experiments (see Experimental Archaeology; Lithics: Analysis, Use Wear), and identification of residues on the artifact (see Blood Residue Analy sis; Chemical Analysis Techniques). The context of the artifact, in particular its association with other materials, can also help identify its function.
One of the difficulties in asking the ‘function question’ is that not all artifacts are used for a single purpose. A stone artifact may be made initially to remove the bark from a stick but it can be subsequently used in its initial form to do other tasks, or it may be remodeled to suit some other purpose. The more durable the raw material the more often it can be reused, either for its original purpose (such as modern recycling of roofing iron) or for a new use (such as the milk powder tin recreated as a child’s toy) (Figure 8). The display of excavated artifacts in museums today could also be considered another example of recycling (from their original function to an educational function).
The recycling example highlights the importance of context in the interpretation of artifacts. An artifact
Figure 7 Viking comb made from antler.
Figure 8 Toy roller ‘truck’ made from sugar can, wire, and fabric collected at Balgo community by Peter Bindon and Moya Smith. Photo courtesy: Moya Smith, Western Australian Museum.
Sitting on someone’s mantelpiece with no information about the context in which it was found says something about the person on whose mantelpiece it stands (why do they choose to place this artifact in this place?) but very little about the people who made the object. Context is important, then, not only because it helps provide information about artifact function, but because it is possible to say something about the people who made it. In addition, knowing where the artifact was positioned in a site can reveal its age relative to other artifacts (see Sites: Formation Processes). Spatial analysis can tell us what structures and other artifacts it is associated with (see Spatial Analysis Within Households and Sites) and perhaps who it was used by.
Artifacts found in the same context are referred to as an assemblage. For example, a silver bowl might be used for many purposes, but if the bowl is found with tableware it may be concluded that it was used for serving food or drink. If the bowl was found with objects of ritual, it might be concluded that the bowl was used as part of ritual behavior. Objects made of rare materials, especially when they occur in patterned contexts, and the presence of rare items whose only function is symbolic might suggest status.
Knowledge of context in which the artifacts were found and the variables that affect the shape, style, and materials used in the artifacts are guides to the types of questions that can be answered. There are questions of cognitive abilities such as those associated with making the first stone artifacts, of technology available, and, depending on the varieties of technologies evident in an assemblage, whether all technologies were available to the entire community. There are questions about access to raw materials as evidenced by the rarity or otherwise of high-quality materials and the use of recycling, and there are questions of social networks of which the Chavin art style and Dong Son drums are examples. Differences in status or roles within groups are determined by interpreting patterns in the types of artifacts found in association with each other. For example, societies with hierarchical divisions would be indicated by the presence of rare materials used especially in symbolical artifacts such as jewelry.
World History
