A Grammar of the Archaeological Record (Version 2, Beta release)

Epistemics. Organization

Introductory

Giorgio Buccellati – June 2010, March 2026

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The formal dimension

In this first section we will look at the system in terms of its formal aspects: what are the constitutive elements and how do they interact with each other?

This will serve as the basis for a study of the system in terms of its applications to the archaeological record

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The System as a Practical Implementation of Theory

The issues raised in the Introduction of the Grammar call for a new approach to archaeological publishing – not an approach that is based on different editorial techniques, but rather one that starts from a different understanding of archaeological categories. As described in Volume 1, this is at variance from the norm, and as such it requires a demonstration of its feasibility. The system described in Volume 1 aims at doing just that.

The configuration of the system is described here under six headings.

  • Constituents: The concept. – Definition of the concept with an inventory of the specific properties.
  • Primary categorization. – The minimal constituents as they are observed in their stratigraphic context, and the paradigms into which they fit (rosters and lexica).
  • Archive structure

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check

define better what constituents are, roster, and lexicon; but see epistemics intro

place this in the context of the closed/open systems

In Volume 1, one will also find a detailed listing of the codes utilized, with an explanation of the underlying logic and the consequent utilization in both data entry and analysis.

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