Better divergent than aligning: an argument in favour of the 'shaken-bookcase syndrome' in archaeological theory-building

Abstract

This provocation suggests that an archaeologist’s confrontation with philosophy, while hazardous like any boundary crossing, is ultimately a catalyst for creativity. And creativity is at the heart of archaeological storytelling. The paradox exposed along the way is that a scholar (let’s call him Raymond) can be both disciplinary gatekeeper and archaeological adviser to the philosophically curious student. To archaeology, philosophy can be seen as an invitation to think differently and ‘travel with’ the epistemic views of a chosen author’s work – French, German, or otherwise – that may have dropped from a bookcase under carefully randomized conditions. Such travels do not attest to a lack of disciplinary integrity but are arguably consistent with, and even strengthen, the continually emergent character of archaeological consciousness.