postprocessualists

Postprocessualism refers to a family of archaeological theories that emerged in the 1980s as a critique of processual archaeology’s emphasis on general laws and scientific objectivity. Influenced by postmodern and hermeneutic thought, postprocessualists argue that material culture is meaningful and culturally specific, and that interpretations are shaped by power relations, ideology, and the observer’s own position. Key figures include Ian Hodder, Michael Shanks, and Christopher Tilley, among others.

Main ideas include the agency of individuals and groups, the symbolic and ritual aspects of artifacts, and the contextualization of meaning within particular historical and social settings. They favor thick description, reflexivity, and case-based analysis over universal laws. Methods draw on semiotics, iconography, ethnography, and discourse analysis, with attention to how archaeologists’ questions and assumptions influence findings.

Reception has been mixed. Critics from processual archaeology accuse postprocessualists of relativism and methodological vagueness, while supporters credit them with foregrounding power, gender, ideology, and the politics of knowledge production. The approach helped give rise to later developments such as critical archaeology and practice theory, and many contemporary archaeologists pursue an integrated, pluralistic stance that combines interpretive meaning with material causation.