The Archaeology of Art: Materials, Practices, Affects

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 archaeolo...