“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
Authors: Cristina Barroso Cruz1,2; Margarita Correia4; Ana Lema Seabra3 Filipa Neto1,3
1Research Centre for Anthropology and Health (University of Coimbra, Portugal);
2 Interdisciplinary Centre for Archaeology and Evolution of Human Behavior (University of Algarve, Portugal)
3 General-Directorate for Cultural Heritage (Portugal)
4 Centro de Estudos de Linguística Aplicada
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
Previous information…
The human brain is a wonderful organ. I starts to work as soon as you are born and doesn't stop until you get up to deliver a speech.
George Jessel (according to Google)
Communication (kəmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n/):The imparting or exchanging of information by speaking, writing, or using some other medium;
Introduction
In Portugal the lack of a uniform bioarchaeological vocabulary and recording system of human archaeological remains from excavation sites is limiting data analysis and knowledge about past populations.
From the latin communi<care:
Share/divide with…
Essential to scientific development.
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
Physical Anthropology in Portugal: creation of bioarchaeological uniformity
Tracing back our path…
Cruz, 2011, 2013
Neto, 2013
201
420
15
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
Bioarchaeological working group
201
3
Develop an uniform vocabulary to be used in Portuguese Bioarchaeology so that becomes possible to:
Goals
- Improve the cross analysis of field/excavation data- Feed an informatic data base that will allow a faster access to
bioarchaeological information
- Relevance of this process and predictable outcome;
- The main obstacles to this process;- Strategies to it’s development
Here we present:
General Directorate for Cultural Heritage (DGPC) working group
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
Bioarchaeology and terminology: a consistent concern throughout the times
Revision of literature
1658: Thomas Browne Hyriotaphia, urne-burial, or, a discourse of the sepulchrall urnes lately found in Norfolk
In Portugal, steps towards the creation of a specific terminology are being taken.
1876: William Tegg The last act: being the funeral rites of nations and individuals1942: James Griffin; Georg Neuman Subcommittee on burial terminology 1959-2006: Roderik Sprague; Burial terminology: a guide for researchers 1980-present: Henri Duday; Éric Crubézy; Anthropologie de terrain1990-present: J. Buikstra; D. Ubelaker; Standards for data collection from human skeletal materials
2014: Christopher Knüsel; Crouching in fear: terms of engagement for funerary remains
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
Physical Anthropology in Portugal: scientific development
Revision of literature
19th century: first steps on the analysis of human remains;
19th century: first course/discipline on Physical Anthropology;1992-1996: first degree in Anthropology (University of Coimbra);
1999: first laws concerning excavation sites with human remains;
1994: first PhD in Anthropology;
2000-present: relevant contributions to the development of biodemographic methodologies and paleopathological diagnoses;
Until now: no reflection has been done on the need of a uniform bioarchaeological vocabulary and standardize recording system;
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
Excavation, Report, Data analysis
Portuguese context
Archaeological excavation
Human remains
Physical Anthropologist
Archaeological and Anthropological technical report
Data(base) register
Data publication
Data analysisCross data analysis
Published sporadically:- Rare bioarchaeological
cases
Compromising amount and quality of knowledge on past populations
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
The relevance of creating an uniform vocabulary: some data
Portuguese context
Cruz, 2011Incomplete information: - historical and/or demographic
and/or taphonomic and/or geographical and/or historical and/or funerary archaeology and/or preservation…;
Vocabulary inconsistency: - biological and/or
archaeological and/or cultural features)
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
The relevance of creating an uniform vocabulary: some data
Portuguese context
Preliminary report sample analysis
Indiscriminate use of terms: - Use of terms analysed as synonyms,- Use of terms analysed as different
concepts;- Both of the above;
Report sample:N=11 reports;Date: 2000-2014;
Terms:Enterramento (interment)Inumação (inhumation)Depósito (deposit)
Term Meaning
Internment
Subject + spaceDeposition typeSkeletonThe action of buryingPhysical context
InhumationThe action of buryingDeposition type
DepositInhumationThe action of burying
Region: LisbonAuthors: 9
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
The relevance of creating an uniform vocabulary: some data
Portuguese context
Terminology used in academic contexts:
- Antropologia física (Physical anthropology);- Bioantropologia (Bioanthropology);- Bioarqueologia (Bioarchaeology)- Antropologia biológica (Biological anthropology);
Terminology used both to designate specific scientific areas and also as synonyms for the same authors
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
Creating an uniform vocabulary: the difficulties
Portuguese context
- Bioarchaeology is influenced by different specific areas with specific terminology. Most scientists are not confortable to leave their academic jargon;
- The cultural diversity related with funerary practices often can’t be articulated or related with a standard and limited vocabulary creating the need to produce more terms. Other times, appropriate concepts are already defined but are not used;
- Linguistic dynamics combined with cultural specificities make difficult the translation of already defined terms in other geographic contexts;
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
Creating an uniform vocabulary: the strategy – first design
Portuguese context
Analysis of international examples:
- Strategies;- Terminology;
- Concepts;
Document analysis: - academic documents- technical reports
Academic and technical debate
Linguistic research
Ethnographic and cultural research
Bioarchaeological thesaurus
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
Portuguese contextCreating an uniform vocabulary: the strategy
Other similar work performed by the team of terminologists:
- Collection ans treatment of the Portuguese language terminology of Nanotechnology (2 vols.; 2008-2010), available online.
http://www.oqlf.gouv.qc.ca/ressources/bibliotheque/dictionnaires/terminologie_nanotechnologie/francais.html
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
Portuguese contextCreating an uniform vocabulary: the strategy
Gathering a referential corpus
Creation of panel of experts/consultants
Validation of the 1st glossary outline
Documents referred and accepted by the scientific community (papers, reports, teaching material, etc).
The scientific community is called to detect missing terms, preferred terms, missing definitions
1st terminological approach
Extraction of a basic term-list from the corpus
Using a linguistic software selection of a basic-term list and other valid information (definitions and example contextsStructuring the database; classification of terms and filing of available information
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
Portuguese contextCreating an uniform vocabulary: the strategy
2nd terminological approach
Creation of panel of experts/consultants
Implementation
Systematic lexicographic treatment of terms after validation, and filling missing information
Preparation and online publication of the 1st edition of the Bioarhecology Glossary
Validation of a Beta edition of the glossary
The scientific community will be, once more, called to validate the selection and definition of terms
Using the terms on academic and technical documents and on formative contexts
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
Creating an uniform vocabulary: the desirable outcome
Portuguese context
Standardize vocabulary
Excavation protocol
More effective database update
More effective data gathering
More effective data analysis (national and international)
Better understanding and knowledge of past populations
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
Creating an uniform vocabulary: conclusions
Portuguese context
Very difficult process
Time consuming
Human resources demanding
Needed in order to follow the intense scientific production rhythm
Needed in order to have a more profound knowledge of past populations
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
ReferencesBuikstra, J. E. Ubelaker, D. H. 1994. Standards: for data collection from human skeletal remains: Proceedings of a Seminar at The Field Museum of Natural History. Arkansas,Crubézy, E.; Duday, H.; Pascal, S.; Tillier, A.-M. Courtaud, P. 1990. L'Anthropologie "de terrain": reconnaissance et interprétacion des gestes funéraires. Bulletins et Mémoire de la Societé d'Anthropologie de Paris, 2: 29-49.Crubézy, E. 2000. L'étude des sépultures, ou du monde des morts au monde des vivants. In: Ferdière, A. (ed.) Archéologie funéraire. Paris, Editions Errance: 8-54.Cruz, C.B.; Cunha, E. 2009. Reporting death in Portugal: analysing biological and cultural data from anthropological field reports and its influence on paleodemographic studies. BABAO 11th Conference. Bradford, UK.Cruz, C. B.; Cunha, E. Cabral, F. 2010. Portuguese anthropological database (inanthropos): analysing past population health status through anthropological excavation records. Anthropology and health: trends for the next decade. Life Sciences Department - University of Coimbra.Cruz, C.B. 2011. Viver a morte em Portugal: o potencial científico dos relatórios antropológicos de campo (1994-2007). PhD Dissertation. University of CoimbraCruz, C. 2013. Living through death: a multidisciplinary approach to the analysis of anthropological field reports from primary inhumation archaeological sites (Portugal). I BioAnthropological Meeting. 31st of May, 1st of June. Life Sciences Department; University of Coimbra;Cruz, C.; Cabral, F. 2013. Viver a Morte em Portugal: In anthropos uma proposta para a gestão do potencial informativo da informação dos vestígios antropológicos de campo. 8º Encontro de Utilizadores de Aplicações de Gestão do Património; 23 e 24 de Maio de 2013; Museu da Ciência da Universidade de Coimbra;Duarte, C.; Neto, F. 2010. O Novo módulo de Bioantropologia no sistema do IGESPAR, comunicação apresentada no 8.º Encontro de Arqueologia do Algarve - A Arqueologia e as outras Ciências, Câmara Municipal de Silves, Portugal, 21-23 de Outubro. Duarte, C.; Neto, F.; 2013. Vestígios humanos no sistema nacional de informação arqueológica, comunicação apresentada no II International Meeting on Archeology of Transition, The Funerary World, Universidade de Évora, Portugal 29-30 de Abril.Duday, H. 2009. The archaeology of dead: lectures in Archaeothanatology (studies in funerary archaeology). Oxford: OxbowBooks, Knüsel, C. 2014. Crouching in fear: terms of engagement for funerary remains. Journal of Social Archaeology. Vol.14(1) 26-58.Neto, F.; Duarte, C. (2013). Questions surrounding the management of human osteological remains from archaeological contexts, comunicação apresentada no I Bioanthropological Meeting - I BAM, Universidade de Coimbra, Portugal, 1 de junho. Neto, F.; Caldeita, N.; Gomes, A. S.; Bragança, F. 2007. Sistemas de Informação e Gestão Arqueológica: Endovélico e SIG. In Conhecer o Património de Vila Franca de Xira – Prespectivas de Gestão de Bens Culturais. Vila Franca de Xira: Câmara Municipal de Vila Franca de Xira, pp. 117-124.Pearson, M. P. 1999. The archaeology of death and burial. Texas, Texas A&M University Press.Sprague, R. 2005. Burial Terminology: a Guide for Researchers. Oxford, AltaMira Press.
“By any other name”: Procedures for establishing terminology in bioarchaeology
BAM II | Bio Anthropological Meeting| May 29-30, 2015 | Coimbra, Portugal
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