Archaeology as science fiction.
A microarchaeology of the unknown
Fredrik Fahlander 2001

This treatise discusses aspects of the constitution of social identity and
social practice in prehistoric social formations. A number of epistemological
perspectives of social theory and methodology are examined in order to
develop operational strategies suitable for the particular possibilities and
constraints of the archaeological record. It is suggested that social practice,
i.e. structurative performance, is a suitable object of study as it mediates
macro theory of social formations and micro theory of individual identity and
motivation. The work departs from a social constructionist standpoint,
pointing out the possible different constitution of prehistoric social
formations as being temporally distant from contemporary formations. It is
argued that the probable existence of ‘extinct’, unknown social practices
implies that traditional anthropological and sociological theory and method
are not sufficient for archaeological studies. Prehistoric social formations
have to be considered on their own terms rather than interpreted through
cross-cultural analogies with contemporary societies. Hence the operational
strategies suggested here focus on, and seek to increase, the available
social information that can be extracted from the archaeological record,
including aspects of the local environment. It is proposed that a
microarchaeology of locales, i.e. specific analysis of the structurative
processes of a smaller time-space sector, is a promising approach to
interpret structurating principles and properties of prehistoric social
formations. The constitution of the social subject and initiation of social
practices are also discussed from various perspectives, including corporeal
and psychological aspects.

Key-words: social theory, social identity, social practice, materialities,
corporealism, constructionism, landscape.