Reasons for Redundancy in Reflexivity: The Role of Diaries in Archaeological Epistemology

AbstractArchaeological research projects employ a diverse body of recording strategies to preserve detailed information about material evidence of the past. One of the most persisting and common forms of recording is the archaeological diary. Despite having undergone transformations in form and function over the history of archaeology as a discipline, diaries are most often integrated into contemporary excavations in order to enhance reflexivity and to provide a greater context for understanding both the processes and products of these research endeavors. I argue that diaries do succeed in promoting reflexive archaeological practice, though not because of the greater contextual information they capture. Instead, the degree to which diaries repeat information recorded by other media embodies their integral role in reflexive archaeological epistemology. By comparing diary entries from Catalhoyuk, Turkey to the pro forma produced at this site, I demonstrate that archaeological diaries' power derives from the...