ABSTRACT
Evolutionary archaeologists study the past primarily through a consideration of the variation of specific traits (such as artefact types), quantifying their survival and decline over time. The temporal pattern of these traits is then examined focusing primarily on Darwin’s concept of descent with modification. The primary modification to biological evolution has been the recognition of ‘dual inheritance’ within cultural transmission, where some traits may be copied (or abandoned) due to contemporary cultural influences (e.g., siblings, neighbours or work partners). Within interpretive archaeology much of the focus has been placed on agency and ideology, drawing on a wide range of materials and theories derived primarily from anthropology and sociology to explain the context that gave rise to specific sites or artefacts. One of the most significant features of this has been to highlight the ‘active’ role that material culture plays in communicating meaning and the reproduction of social relations. Both approaches have much to learn from each other. Evolutionary archaeology provides a caution against the idea that all change was intended or directed. Interpretive archaeology stresses that in order to understand what people did in the past, we need to consider the specific social context of the people involved and what motivated their actions.
