The long road: ethnoarchaeology, pastoralism and the reconfiguration of archaeological knowledge

Abstract

This article addresses the transformative role of ethnoarchaeology in reshaping the study of pastoralism. Long marginalized by dominant scientific and political discourses, pastoralism is now increasingly seen as a sophisticated, adaptive livelihood strategy - especially in contexts of high environmental variability. Since pastoralism is predominantly practiced in drylands - arid and semiarid regions historically viewed as peripheral - its study has helped reframe these environments as dynamic landscapes of innovation and resilience. This reevaluation has been pushed, this article argues, also by the contributions of ethnoarchaeology. As a field that bridges past and present, it has enabled the generation of new concepts, the challenge of traditional archaeological frameworks and the integration of Indigenous knowledge systems.

This study is funded by the European Union (ERC CoG, CAMP, 101088842). Views and opinions expressed are, however, those of the author only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Research Council. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. The author is a member of CASEs, a Quality Research Group recognized by the Agencia de Gestión de Ayudas Universitarias y de Investigación (the Catalan Agency for Research) (AGAUR-SGR 212).