My literature review is currently wallowing in the deep waters of attempting to create a diagram to explain the controllable/indirectly controllable variables in bloomery smelting and their relationships. However, I have come to the conclusion that I am also sitting in a rather lonely theoretical position.
Essentially, I just want to tell stories. I may be a processional Classical pyro-technologist using archaeometry to ask post-processional questions, but essentially all I’m really trying to get to is the stories of the people behind the artefacts. I love artefacts and I love data, but in the end I’m actually trying to formulate ideas about ancient people. Or else what’s the point in the whole bloody enterprise?
I wonder how I’m going to manage that in my dissertation? I have a suspicion that most archaeological theory actually spends a lot longer talking about archaeologists than it does about ancient people, despite what it claims. As gratifying as it is to talk about myself, I’d prefer to cut that down!
As usual, more research is doubtless necessary. Not sure when though… gods March is looking crammed.
Ruth Fillery-Travis 