Andrew Meirion Jones – författare

Humans occupy a material environment that is constantly changing. Yet in the twentieth century archaeologists studying British prehistory have overlooked this fact in their search for past systems of order and pattern. Artefacts and monuments were treated as inert materials which were the outcomes of social ideas and processes. As a result materials were variously characterized as stable entities such as artefact categories, styles or symbols in an attempt to comprehend them. In this book Jones argues that, on the contrary, materials are vital, mutable, and creative, and archaeologists need to attend to the changing character of materials if they are to understand how past people and materials intersected to produce prehistoric societies. Rather than considering materials and societies as given, he argues that we need to understand how these entities are performed.Jones analyses the various aspects of materials, including their scale, colour, fragmentation, and assembly, in a wide-ranging discussion that covers the pottery, metalwork, rock art, passage tombs, barrows, causewayed enclosures, and settlements of Neolithic and Early Bronze Age Britain and Ireland.

Digital imaging techniques have been rapidly adopted within archaeology and cultural heritage practice for the accurate documentation of cultural artefacts. But what is a digital image, and how does it relate to digital photography? The authors of this book take a critical look at the practice and techniques of digital imaging from the stance of digital archaeologists, cultural heritage practitioners and digital artists. Borrowing from the feminist scholar Karen Barad, the authors ask what happens when we diffract the formal techniques of archaeological digital imaging through a different set of disciplinary concerns and practices. Diffracting exposes the differences between archaeologists, heritage practitioners and artists, and foregrounds how their differing practices and approaches enrich and inform each other. How might the digital imaging techniques used by archaeologists be adopted by digital artists, and what are the potentials associated with this adoption? Under the gaze of fine artists, what happens to the fidelity of the digital images made by archaeologists, and what new questions do we ask of the digital image? How can the critical approaches and practices of fine artists inform the future practice of digital imaging in archaeology and cultural heritage? Diffracting Digital Images will be of interest to students and scholars in archaeology, cultural heritage studies, anthropology, fine art, digital humanities, and media theory.

Digital imaging techniques have been rapidly adopted within archaeology and cultural heritage practice for the accurate documentation of cultural artefacts. But what is a digital image, and how does it relate to digital photography? The authors of this book take a critical look at the practice and techniques of digital imaging from the stance of digital archaeologists, cultural heritage practitioners and digital artists. Borrowing from the feminist scholar Karen Barad, the authors ask what happens when we diffract the formal techniques of archaeological digital imaging through a different set of disciplinary concerns and practices. Diffracting exposes the differences between archaeologists, heritage practitioners and artists, and foregrounds how their differing practices and approaches enrich and inform each other. How might the digital imaging techniques used by archaeologists be adopted by digital artists, and what are the potentials associated with this adoption? Under the gaze of fine artists, what happens to the fidelity of the digital images made by archaeologists, and what new questions do we ask of the digital image? How can the critical approaches and practices of fine artists inform the future practice of digital imaging in archaeology and cultural heritage? Diffracting Digital Images will be of interest to students and scholars in archaeology, cultural heritage studies, anthropology, fine art, digital humanities, and media theory.

Durational Images: Time and Images after the European Ice Age explores images from the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age of Atlantic and Northern Europe to reconsider their ontological attributes as tools for navigating time.The book argues that durational images from the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age mark an important shift from the prevailing Palaeolithic tradition of representational image making. Drawing on the philosophy of Henri Bergson, Gilles Deleuze and Karen Barad, amongst others, the book argues that images from this period must be regarded in a new way as modes of engagement instead of solely as modes of communication. Images are regarded then as multiplicities, that exist both temporally and spatially. Considering the dynamic and durational character of images from this period, enables us to understand that images may not only be representational, but also used as devices for navigating and producing time in differing ways. While archaeological evidence is often used as a means to situate an origin point for contemporary ways of seeing, this book instead diffracts contemporary ways of seeing derived from digital imaging techniques with images from the Mesolithic to Bronze Age. This opens up a dynamic relational dialogue between the disciplines of archaeology, anthropology, art history, art practice and media. The central thesis of the book is that the dialogue between images from the Mesolithic to Bronze Age and contemporary image making practices provides the chance to explore the multiple ways in which images produce differing temporalities and engagements with the world. It allows us not only to rethink the character of images from the European Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age but to reconsider our own contemporary engagements with images. The book is well-illustrated with images to support the theoretical arguments as well as case study chapters focused on portable artefacts from the British and Irish Neolithic, the image making traditions of northern and southern Scandinavia, the long history of image making in the Côa valley, Portugal and the reworking of images at the megalithic passage tomb of Knowth, Ireland.Durational Images. Time and Images after the European Ice Age is for students and researchers in archaeology, art history, art practice and anthropology. It offers both a critical commentary on the study of images from the Mesolithic to Bronze Age for archaeologists as well as a trans-disciplinary discussion of the character of images.

Durational Images: Time and Images after the European Ice Age explores images from the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age of Atlantic and Northern Europe to reconsider their ontological attributes as tools for navigating time.The book argues that durational images from the Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age mark an important shift from the prevailing Palaeolithic tradition of representational image making. Drawing on the philosophy of Henri Bergson, Gilles Deleuze and Karen Barad, amongst others, the book argues that images from this period must be regarded in a new way as modes of engagement instead of solely as modes of communication. Images are regarded then as multiplicities, that exist both temporally and spatially. Considering the dynamic and durational character of images from this period, enables us to understand that images may not only be representational, but also used as devices for navigating and producing time in differing ways. While archaeological evidence is often used as a means to situate an origin point for contemporary ways of seeing, this book instead diffracts contemporary ways of seeing derived from digital imaging techniques with images from the Mesolithic to Bronze Age. This opens up a dynamic relational dialogue between the disciplines of archaeology, anthropology, art history, art practice and media. The central thesis of the book is that the dialogue between images from the Mesolithic to Bronze Age and contemporary image making practices provides the chance to explore the multiple ways in which images produce differing temporalities and engagements with the world. It allows us not only to rethink the character of images from the European Mesolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age but to reconsider our own contemporary engagements with images. The book is well-illustrated with images to support the theoretical arguments as well as case study chapters focused on portable artefacts from the British and Irish Neolithic, the image making traditions of northern and southern Scandinavia, the long history of image making in the Côa valley, Portugal and the reworking of images at the megalithic passage tomb of Knowth, Ireland.Durational Images. Time and Images after the European Ice Age is for students and researchers in archaeology, art history, art practice and anthropology. It offers both a critical commentary on the study of images from the Mesolithic to Bronze Age for archaeologists as well as a trans-disciplinary discussion of the character of images.

This book explores the 'animal turn' that has reshaped humanities and social science scholarship over recent decades.Chapters describe the nuanced engagements between humans, animals, plants and landscapes, challenging conventional anthropocentric perspectives and paving the way for a deeper understanding of multispecies relations. This volume navigates the contested territory of aesthetics, examines the intersections of art and anthropology, and sheds light on cross-cultural and cross-species interpretations. Through insightful essays and analyses, readers are invited to explore the theoretical and methodological challenges within multispecies worlds, while highlighting the influence of Indigenous knowledge on our perceptions and theories of non-human entities. It includes contributions from artists, archaeologists, historians and environmental humanities scholars.This volume will be an essential resource for those seeking to expand their understanding of art, performance, and the intricate relationships between humans and non-humans. Whether exploring the complexities of nature/culture dichotomies or reimagining the boundaries of aesthetics, it offers a compelling journey into the vibrant tapestry of multispecies aesthetics.

This book explores the 'animal turn' that has reshaped humanities and social science scholarship over recent decades.Chapters describe the nuanced engagements between humans, animals, plants and landscapes, challenging conventional anthropocentric perspectives and paving the way for a deeper understanding of multispecies relations. This volume navigates the contested territory of aesthetics, examines the intersections of art and anthropology, and sheds light on cross-cultural and cross-species interpretations. Through insightful essays and analyses, readers are invited to explore the theoretical and methodological challenges within multispecies worlds, while highlighting the influence of Indigenous knowledge on our perceptions and theories of non-human entities. It includes contributions from artists, archaeologists, historians and environmental humanities scholars.This volume will be an essential resource for those seeking to expand their understanding of art, performance, and the intricate relationships between humans and non-humans. Whether exploring the complexities of nature/culture dichotomies or reimagining the boundaries of aesthetics, it offers a compelling journey into the vibrant tapestry of multispecies aesthetics.

How can archaeologists interpret ancient art and images if they do not treat them as symbols or signifiers of identity? Traditional approaches to the archaeology of art have borrowed from the history of art and the anthropology of art by focusing on iconography, meaning, communication and identity. This puts the archaeology of art at a disadvantage as an understanding of iconography and meaning requires a detailed knowledge of historical or ethnographic context unavailable to many archaeologists. Rather than playing to archaeology’s weaknesses, the authors argue that an archaeology of art should instead play to archaeology’s strength: the material character of archaeological evidence. Using case studies - examining rock art, figurines, beadwork, murals, coffin decorations, sculpture and architecture from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and north Africa -the authors develop an understanding of the affective and effective nature of ancient art and imagery. An analysis of a series of material-based practices, from gesture and improvisation to miniaturisation and gigantism, assembly and disassembly and the use of distinctions in colour enable key concepts, such as style and meaning, to be re-imagined as affective practices. Recasting the archaeology of art as the study of affects offers a new prospectus for the study of ancient art and imagery.

How can archaeologists interpret ancient art and images if they do not treat them as symbols or signifiers of identity? Traditional approaches to the archaeology of art have borrowed from the history of art and the anthropology of art by focusing on iconography, meaning, communication and identity. This puts the archaeology of art at a disadvantage as an understanding of iconography and meaning requires a detailed knowledge of historical or ethnographic context unavailable to many archaeologists. Rather than playing to archaeology’s weaknesses, the authors argue that an archaeology of art should instead play to archaeology’s strength: the material character of archaeological evidence. Using case studies - examining rock art, figurines, beadwork, murals, coffin decorations, sculpture and architecture from Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and north Africa -the authors develop an understanding of the affective and effective nature of ancient art and imagery. An analysis of a series of material-based practices, from gesture and improvisation to miniaturisation and gigantism, assembly and disassembly and the use of distinctions in colour enable key concepts, such as style and meaning, to be re-imagined as affective practices. Recasting the archaeology of art as the study of affects offers a new prospectus for the study of ancient art and imagery.

This book offers an analysis of archaeological imagery based on new materialist approaches. Reassessing the representational paradigm of archaeological image analysis, it argues for the importance of ontology, redefining images as material processes or events that draw together differing aspects of the world. The book is divided into three sections: ‘Emergent images’, which focuses on practices of making; ‘Images as process’, which examines the making and role of images in prehistoric societies; and ‘Unfolding images’, which focuses on how images change as they are made and circulated. Featuring contributions from archaeologists, Egyptologists, anthropologists and artists, it highlights the multiple role of images in prehistoric and historic societies, while demonstrating that scholars need to recognise their dynamic and changeable character.

A new generation of archaeologists has thrown down a challenge to post-processual theory, arguing that characterizing material symbols as arbitrary overlooks the material character and significance of artifacts. This volume showcases the significant departure from previous symbolic approaches that is underway in the discipline. It brings together key scholars advancing a variety of cutting edge approaches, each emphasizing an understanding of artifacts and materials not in terms of symbols but relationally, as a set of associations that compose people’s understanding of the world. Authors draw on a diversity of intellectual sources and case studies, paving a dynamic road ahead for archaeology as a discipline and theoretical approaches to material culture.