The past in bits: towards an archaeology of information technology

Huggett, J. (2004) The past in bits: towards an archaeology of information technology. Internet Archaeology, 15,

Abstract

This article argues that archaeologists have shown relatively little concern for the social, cultural, and economic changes in modern society associated with the introduction of new information technologies, despite our interest in such developments in past societies. As a consequence, there has been little discussion of the ways in which the application of information technologies may affect the practice of archaeology itself. Aspects investigated here include the 'scientific' reductionist processual approaches typically associated with the use of computers, the language and community of archaeological computing practitioners, the effects of distance and agents, issues of data recording and retrieval, and the implications of internet delivery of information. In the process, data may be wrenched from context, argument separated from evidence, interpretations transformed into 'facts', explicit knowledge separated from tacit knowledge, and push-button solutions substituted for knowledgeable actions.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Huggett, Dr Jeremy
• Authors: Huggett, J.
• Subjects: C Auxiliary Sciences of History > CC Archaeology
• College/School: College of Arts & Humanities > School of Humanities > Archaeology
• Journal Name: Internet Archaeology
• ISSN (Online): 1363-5387