ABSTRACT
Introduction Howshouldarchaeologistscometohaveknowledgeofthepast?Whatdoesthisknowledgeinvolve?Whatconstitutesanexplanationofwhatarchaeologistsfind?Thischapter
considerstheanswertothesequestionsacceptedbythe'new'archaeology;itconsiders epistemologicalissuesraisedbyastudyofthepastinthearchaeologicalliteraturepostdating1960.Newarchaeologyhasembracedexplicitlyandimplicitlyapositivistmodel ofhowtoexplainthepastandweexaminethetreatmentofthesocialworldasanextensionofthenatural,thereductionofpracticetobehaviour,theseparationof'reality',the facts,fromconceptsandtheories.Wecriticizetesting,validationandtherefutationof
theoryasawayofconnectingtheoryandthefacts,emphasizingallobservationas theory-laden.Thenewarchaeologypolemicallyopposeditselftotraditional'normative'
archaeologyasasocialscienceandwebeginthechapterwithaconsiderationofthis changeandwhyittookplace.Thetoneofthischapterisagaincritical.Wearguethat existingpositionsinthearchaeologicalliteratureareinadequateatanepistemological levelandfailtooffermuchinsightforastudyofeitherpastorpresentsocialprocesses andtheirrelationshiptomaterialculture.
