Middle Range Theory

Question 1

What gap does MRT bridge?

Answer 1

Between raw archaeological evidence and general observations and conclusions

Question 2

What does MRT represent?

Answer 2

A bridge between the archaeological remains and the societies these represent.

Question 3

What does MRT link?

Answer 3

Human behaviour to the physical remains.

Question 4

What does it allow us to infer?

Answer 4

Behaviours in the past from archaeological finds in the present.

Question 5

Which communities did Lewis Binford undertake ethnographic fieldwork among?

Answer 5

The modern hunter-gatherer communities of the Nunamiut Eskimo, the Navajo and Australian Aborigines.

Question 6

What did the waste of modern HG communities allow Lewis B to infer?

Answer 6

Palaeolithic HG behaviour

Question 7

Why might MRT be logically flawed?

Answer 7

As it assumes modern behaviour has been consistent throughout history.

Question 8

What is the first component of MRT?

Answer 8

Documentation of causal relations between relevant dynamic and observable statistics.

Question 9

What is the second component of MRT?

Answer 9

Recognition of signature patterns in static remains

Question 10

What is the third component of MRT?

Answer 10

Inference of past dynamics from observation of signature patterns in archaeological record

Question 11

What is the final component of MRT?

Answer 11

Evaluation.

Question 12

What must the archaeological record be translated into?

Answer 12

Behaviourally dynamic terms.

Question 13

How are signature patterns established?

Answer 13

Through modern observation.

Question 14

What links does MRT address?

Answer 14

Links between inaccessible past dynamics and the static material patterns observed in the archaeological record.

Question 15

What is meant by dynamics?

Answer 15

Organisational arrangements and behaviours

Question 16

What is meant by actualistic research?

Answer 16

Research obtained in the present using ethnographic, experimental or historical sources.

Question 17

What must one do first to construct MRT?

Answer 17

Observe the documentation of causal relations between the recent dynamic and observable statistics through actualistic research

Question 18

What must one do secondly to construct MRT?

Answer 18

Signature patterns must be established these need to be recognised in the static remains

Question 19

What must one do thirdly to construct MRT?

Answer 19

Make inferences to explain past dynamics

Question 20

What must be done finally to construct MRT?

Answer 20

Evaluation

Question 21

How is MRT primarily applied to the archaeological record?

Answer 21

The signature patterns observed through actualistic research and the static remains are inferred to past dynamics

Question 22

One archaeological case study for the application of MRT?

Answer 22

LB ethnographic work on the modern HG of Nanahuit Eskimo, Navajo and the Aus Aboriginals gathered information about waste patterns. This was then used to infer behaviour of Palaeolithic HG.