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Apel, J. & Knutsson, K., 2006. Skilled Production and Social Reproduction. SAU Stone Studies 2. Uppsala.
Marcia-Anne Dobres
Skilled Production and Social
Reproduction in prehistory and
contemporary archaeology:
a personal exegesis on dominant
themes and their psychosocial
Introduction
For reasons worth investigating, archaeologists are loath to lay bare the
hermeneutic relationship between their own interpersonal dynamics, such
as those which run rampant at professional meetings, and intellectual trends
shaping the discipline. By refusing to acknowledge the personal degree of in
vestment we have in our research, and by denying just how much the personal
we are successful at keeping public discourse to impersonal issues of episte
mology, methodology, and unbiased interpretation. While I am no champion
of “big men” theories of cultural evolution, there is no doubt that dominant
personalities (of variously gendered persuasions) have indeed shaped the dis
cipline both theoretically and methodologically. In the next few pages I dare
Production and Social Reproduction” conference, on which this volume is
the study of ancient technology. I realize I tread on shaky ground, not only
by breaking the taboo on keeping our dirty linen in the closet, but also by
suggesting that there is a directional relationship between contentious inter
personal dynamics and how we ply our trade.
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