Concise Oxford Dictionary of Archaeology (232 page)

A factual enquiry carried out by simply recording what is observed or discovered.

 
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The theory that all knowledge derives from the senses, and that the data will speak for themselves without the benefit of any explicit theoretical perspective. In the traditional view of empiricism it is believed that the mind of the observer plays no role whatsoever in forming knowledge, and that it somehow comes about as more and more ‘facts’ are discovered. Following the work of Kant and others, this view was modified to allow some role to be given to the mind in forming knowledge, though the problem has always been how to relate the two adequately. In
POSITIVISM
this is solved by the idea of
INDUCTIVISM
: the ability to infer general knowledge from particular sensory data. Empiricism of various forms is the dominant
EPISTEMOLOGY
in archaeology; empirical data, achieved mainly through controlled observation, provide the basis of knowledge and are generally kept separate from the distortions of subjectivity and any interpretations made.

 
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A person who espouses empiricism, but the word is increasingly used as a term of abuse in referring to theoretically challenged archaeologists.

 
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emporium
(pl.
emporia
)
[De].

A centre of commerce characterized by a wide range of goods, often from far afield.

 
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A kind of opaque or semi-opaque glassy material used for decorating metalwork by fusing the coating to the surface of the metal.

 
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Cultural grouping represented by sites on the central Peruvian coast of South America and dating to 3600–2500 bc. Excavated sites appear to be temporary settlements, and have yielded abundant evidence for the use of shellfish and other marine resources. Small quantities of deer bones have been found, and also gourds, wild legumes, and fruit remains. Grass seeds and seed-processing equipment is also common. There is some evidence for the cultivation of squash from sites of this phase, the first signs of agriculture in coastal regions.

 
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