Paper short abstract:

The objective and subjective decisions that form the hermeneutical act of interpreting the past create finally a result similar to an artistic collage, therefore presenting analogies with the artistic act. Are we archaeologists also artists, even if we are not aware of this?

Paper long abstract:

There is more to subjectivity in archaeological science. For example the categories in which we divide the material culture of the past are definitely subjective.

Looking at the hermeneutic archaeological act as at chaîne-opératoire one can observe two kinds of stages: some objective and some representing "the choice" of the archaeologist, which suggest the inference of subjectivity into the scientific approach.

The objective and subjective decisions that form the hermeneutical act of interpreting the past create finally a result similar to an artistic collage, therefore presenting analogies with the artistic act.

Are we archaeologists also artists, even if we are not aware of this?

Bibliogaphy

Gheorghiu, D., 2001, Il passato comme opera d'arte, Ipso Facto, Milan, pp. 50-61.