The relations between human and natural history in the construction of archaeology

I shall start with a paradox. Why is it that French archaeology has not managed to integrate a movement of history – the Annales school – which accorded such importance to the material basis of society, an interest called by Braudel ‘material civilisation’ (not to be confused with ‘material culture’)? The solution to this paradox is to be found in the ‘dominated’ character of French archaeology, and also in the prevalent representation archaeologists make of their creed as torn between the natural and human sciences.