prosessiivisista

Prosessiiviset, commonly referred to in English as processual archaeologists, are adherents of processual archaeology, a theoretical and methodological approach that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s as part of the New Archaeology. They aim to explain cultural change through general processes, ecological constraints, and system-level analyses rather than only describing artifact typologies or lineage of cultures.

Core ideas of the prosessiiviset include a science-based, hypothesis-driven method, the use of middle-range theory to connect artifacts with human behavior, and explicit models of social and environmental processes such as subsistence, population dynamics, and technological change. They emphasize quantification, replicable methods, and comparative data from multiple sites to establish broad patterns and explanations of past human societies.

Methodologically, prosessiiviset favor systematic data collection, statistical analysis, and modeling of variables like settlement patterns, resource use, and ecological context. Their work helped professionalize archaeology, promoting rigorous field procedures and emphasis on testable explanations. They are contrasted with cultural-historical archaeology, which centered more on typologies and cultural histories, while processual theory seeks universal processes that shape cultural change.

Criticism of the approach has revolved around perceived reductionism, overreliance on quantitative methods, and a tendency to downplay symbolism, agency, and meaning in past cultures. In later decades, processual archaeology gave way to more plural and interpretive approaches, yet its influence persists in the emphasis on methodological rigor, explicit hypotheses, and process-oriented explanations. In Finnish discourse, prosessiiviset refer to scholars aligned with these ideas, and the term continues to appear in discussions of archaeological theory and method.