Abstract
Drawing on work in science studies, I argue for the importance of fieldwork and research practices when considering the relative significance of feminism within archaeology. Fieldwork, often presented as the unifying hallmark of all of anthropology, has a different resonance in archaeology at the level of material practice and specific techniques. In order to understand the relationship between archaeology and feminism we need to investigate methods, methodology, and interpretations of the material record simultaneously. Examining one practice, that of map making, I suggest venues amenable to feminist insights.
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Acknowledgments
I am grateful to the editors of the special issue for inviting me to join this project. This essay has seen more permutations than I wish to recall, beginning with a Women’s Studies colloquium at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2001. I particularly appreciate the encouragement of Jane Burns who suggested patience as a needed contemplative practice. Peter Redfield has patiently read and edited every version of the article. Most importantly I thank Wendy Ashmore, James Skibo, Barbara Bender and an anonymous reviewer for their thoughtful reading and insightful responses that restored my belief in reviewers. I am grateful for all their time and generosity.
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Tomášková, S. Mapping a Future: Archaeology, Feminism, and Scientific Practice. J Archaeol Method Theory 14, 264–284 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-007-9038-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10816-007-9038-0