Dear all,
I think Ingegerds mail touches on an interesting
issue related to this string, and that is how much does a
contemporary population or people actually live or
experience their own history as opposed to merely being in
posession of a current form of that history passed down
through time orally, which may bare little relation to the
history experienced in the past by earlier populations.
Also, is our job as archaeologists to be as objective as
possible in writing histories, in effect in a scientific
manner, or should we make it as relevant to the present as
is possible? Surley the data we retrive from the past is
opaque in terms of cultural meaning and is therefore most
safely dealt with without too much specualtion in this
area?
Just an idea.
Dinger
On Fri, 17 Dec 1999 10:32:43 +0100 Ingegerd Holand
<[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> History is not just an object to be studied - it is also, or it could/should
> be, highly meaningful and important to those who form the latest link in
> that history. Without taking account of how it integrates into their lives
> and present understanding of themselves and the world, I think we are
> overlooking a very important part of history writing.
> I don't think this is such an important consideration when writing the
> history of ourselves, our own society, as it is when dealing with other
> peoples, such as minorities or foreign tribes etc. Then it becomes a
> question of shaping and creating a history for others, but according to our
> own standards and understanding, and there are many examples of "others" not
> recognising themselves in the history we create. Even worse, they may see
> it as an attempt to falsify and distort what has been their own experience
> of that history.
> To my mind, it is very important to respect even what Gerry calls an
> "illiterate" view of history. You can correct factual mistakes and
> misunderstandings, but you can't correct someone's experience of their own
> history.
>
> Best wishes,
> Ingegerd
>
> Dr. Ingegerd Holand
> 140 Castelnau
> London SW13 9ET
> e-mail: [log in to unmask]
> >
>
____________________________________________
David A. Bell.
Department of Archaeology,
School of Archaeology, Classics, and Oriental Studies,
The University of Liverpool,
Liverpool, L69 3BX, UK.
Tel: 0151-794-5046.
E-mail: [log in to unmask]
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