Of Sites, Inscriptions and Mutations: Does Technology shape Archaeological claims?

Abstract

"In this 'technology meets archaeology' era, technologies are treated either as ‘absolute truth finders’ or ‘obsolete false actors’. This study reflexively contemplates the role of technology in archaeological knowledge production to investigate its agency as an actor. To what extent and how effectively do technologies contribute to the creation and mutation of archaeological claims?

In this study, the authors elaborate their practice-based research involving a set of non-invasive technologies (LiDAR, satellite imagery, simulation, and geophysical survey) in the specific field-study of the excavated site of Śṛiṅgaverapura, India. The authors employ concepts of Actor-network theory to reflexively observe the process flow of each technological intervention. The resulting thick descriptions of the mutations of the site inscriptions triggered by the four technologies throw light on the limitations and advantages of technological actors.

The study observes that the effectiveness of a technological actor is directly proportional to its fluidity in the network- that is, the ease and efficacy with which technology is able to mutate the site inscriptions. Technological fluidity, in turn, is enabled by adoptability, appropriability, adaptability, and accessibility of the actor in the network. The fluidity of the actor enables some site inscriptions to mutate completely, offering new narratives. Some direct the future path of mutation, indicating a fresh hypothesis, while others indicate shifts without offering any altered or new hypothesis. Some technological actors are also fluid enough to form a new network of technological actors within the primary network. However, not all inscriptions made by the technological actors align with the network’s objective, resulting in the inscriptions being black-boxed."