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Gadi G. Y. Mgomezulu

Bio: Gadi G. Y. Mgomezulu is an academic researcher. The author has contributed to research in topics: Space archaeology & Post-medieval archaeology. The author has an hindex of 1, co-authored 1 publications receiving 8 citations.

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TL;DR: Mgomezulu as discussed by the authors argued that it would be too much for an archaeologist's view of the universe to coincide with that of any society, and that the duty of the archaeologist in such circumstances will be more to popularise the aspects of archaeology unknown to the society rather than to coin a brand of archeology ''suited to that society''.
Abstract: by GADI G. Y. MGOMEZULU Box 264, Lilongwe, Malawi. 29 vii 80 \"Archaeology ought to be what archaeology already is. The problem is how can we improve our ways of doing it?\" (Isaac 1971:129). The gist of Miller's (CA 21: 709-15) paper contradicts this premise. It is that archaeology is dependent on \"the structure of society\" and therefore, where it is just being introduced, should be different from the archaeology in societies in which it has a longer tradition. While Miller attempts to disclaim this view, the rest of his article is consistent with it. One may safely say that a society's conception of the universe and its role in it has a lot to do with what that society does and why it is the way it is. A case can be made that it would be expecting too much for an archaeologist's view of the universe to coincide with that of any society. In terms of the time depth of man's history, for instance, an archaeologist may have 3,000,000 years in mind when the society may only be able to relate to a few hundred. The duty of the archaeologist in such circumstances will be more to popularise the aspects of archaeology unknown to the society than to coin a brand of archaeology \"suited\" to that society. A similarly pervasive idea in the article is evolution of societv versus evolution of archaeology. This, to say the least, revives such hackneyed 19th-century evolutionary ideas as Morgan's (1964 [1877]) \"primitive\" and civilized.\" Research by external institutions hould indeed be encouraged by indigenous people, who for the most part lack financial resources and, even more, trained manpower. External institutions, on their part, should include the involvement and training of indigenous people from the beginning. Any other relationship is, in fact, parasitic on the indigenous people. The article is at its best when dealing with the Solomons example. The generalisations from the author's experience in the Solomons are, however, misleading. What needs to be done in \"developing\" countries vis-a-vis archaeology is not to fabricate a different type of archaeology to fit them, but to popularise archaeology without significantly changing its meaning or nature (Mgomezulu 1979).

8 citations


Cited by
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TL;DR: In this article, it has been recognized that archaeology in sub-Saharan Africa, and its public manifestation through the medium of museums, emerged within the context of European colonial rule, and that legacies of colonialism continue to shape archaeological practice across the continent.
Abstract: It has long been recognized that archaeology in sub-Saharan Africa, and its public manifestation through the medium of museums, emerged within the context of European colonial rule, and that legacies of colonialism continue to shape archaeological practice across the continent. Following independence there has been steady indigenization, initially in terms of personnel but subsequently also in terms of organizational structure and research agendas. Recent calls for a ‘post-colonial archaeology’ liberated from the constraints imposed by ‘the colonial archive’, have highlighted many of the challenges that remain. Nevertheless, indigenization has also resulted in the production of more nationalistic and/or Afrocentric perspectives. These echo some of the sentiments voiced by the first generation of African political leaders regarding the need to recover a truly ‘African past’, which have also been revived in more recent calls for an African Renaissance as articulated by NEPAD, among others. This pap...

82 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The African archaeological tradition accepts, with materialist interpretations and explanations, the importance of symbolic subsystems in a synthetic and systemic approach as mentioned in this paper, and the application of structural and symbolic analysis to interrelated archaeological and ethnographic information is an integral part of an anthropological approach to the later prehistory and history of Africa.
Abstract: Over the last three decades archaeologists of Africa have developed distinctive perspectives in their use of oral traditions in historical archaeology and ethnoarchaeology. Many of these innovations reflect the cultural attitudes of Africans about their own history and have lead to an archaeology that is increasingly sensitive to questions of an African historical identity free from the Western structure of thought. The African archaeological tradition accepts, with materialist interpretations and explanations, the importance of symbolic subsystems in a synthetic and systemic approach. Consequently, the application of structural and symbolic analysis to interrelated archaeological and ethnographic information is an integral part of an anthropological approach to the later prehistory and history of Africa.

45 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, four different models within this paradigm are discussed and a strategy for a more widespread inclusion of alternative archaeological discussions and projects is suggested, as well as a definition of the Archaeology of the Disenfranchised.
Abstract: The question of multivocality has been much explored and debated in recent archaeological publications. Clearly, the objective of such work is to assure the inclusion of the views of disadvantaged minorities and disenfranchised peoples in the presentation of their own pasts. This objective has not been achieved with much success, however, partly because mainstream archaeologists have had some difficulties in grappling with what appear to be a proliferation of “alternative” archaeological theories. Few discussions have approached alternative archaeologies as constituting a definable archaeological paradigm that might be termed “The Archaeology of the Disenfranchised.” Four different models within this paradigm are discussed and a strategy for a more widespread inclusion of alternative archaeological discussions and projects is suggested.

42 citations

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TL;DR: When archaeologists began exploring the Middle East in search of tangible evidence supporting the biblical story in the nineteenth century, many were shocked at the degraded modern civilization in... as discussed by the authors, and many were disgusted at the degradation of modern civilization.
Abstract: When archaeologists began exploring the Middle East in search of tangible evidence supporting the biblical story in the nineteenth century, many were shocked at the degraded modern civilization in ...

22 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the relationship between archaeology and development in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states is discussed and the consequences of these changes on the preservation, conservation, and management of the Gulf's archaeological heritage.
Abstract: In the states of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), development has led to social, economic, political, and cultural changes. These changes pose challenges and threats to the region's archaeology. This paper emphasises the relationship between archaeology and development in the GCC states. This paper illustrates the ways in which development is changing the region's historic environment and the consequences of these changes on the preservation, conservation, and management of the Gulf's archaeological heritage. It considers the history of archaeological research in the Gulf region and the consequences of oil wealth for the Gulf states’ political, socio-economic, and educational progress. It examines the Gulf governments' attempts to strike a balance between archaeology and development and explores the future of the past in the region.

11 citations