https://critique-of-ar.net / Notes / 11.htm  –  Version 1a, June 2021

Critique of Archaeological Reason
3. Notes

Notes to Chapter 11. Digital thought

– May 2023

11.1 Bracing the distance
      11.1.1 The pre-digital phase
      11.1.2 The digital innovation
      11.1.3 Intentional dislocation
11.2 Structuring the data
      11.2.1 Discontiguity
      11.2.2 Capillarity of nodes
      11.2.3 Integration of arrays
11.3 Structuring the argument
      11.3.1 Discontinuity and sequentiality
      11.3.2 Multilinear sequences
      11.3.3 Polyhedral argument
      11.3.4 Non-systemic sequences
      11.3.5 Fluidity of structure and deconstruction
      11.3.6 Semantic and lexical webs
11.4 The implicit argument
      11.4.1 The data base as an argument
      11.4.2 The argument function of sorting
      11.4.3 The argument function of a word search
      11.4.4 Evaluation
11.5 The narrative argument
      11.5.1 Digital discourse, narrative, text
      11.5.2 Primary and secondary narrative arguments
      11.5.3 Automation: the primary narrative argument
      11.5.4 The secondary narrative argument
11.6 Digital humanities and digital humanism
      11.6.1 Digital humanities: the technical domain
      11.6.2 Digital humanities: the conceptual domain
      11.6.3 Perception
      11.6.4 The reach of artificial constructs
11.7 The para-digital dimension
11.8 The notion of digital thought
11.9 A historical perspective on digital thought
      11.9.1 Orality
      11.9.2 From pre-literate to para-literate
      11.9.3 Discontinuity and non-linearity
      11.9.4 Becoming literate
      11.9.5 From the Encyclopedie to digitality

11.1.1 The pre-digital phase

  1. On the origins of writing, see Powell 2009 Writing.

    – [ Laerke Recht, March 2016]

  2. Buccellati G 1981 Writing.

    – [July 2016]

  3. The “urban” revolution: Childe 1950 Urban Revolution.

    – [ Laerke Recht, July 2016]

  4. The beginning of language and concepts: Givon & Malle 2002 Evolution Of Language.

    – [ Laerke Recht, July 2016]

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11.1.2 The digital innovation

  1. Frabetti F 2011 Rethinking.

  2. Relevance in archaeology, Evans & Daly 2006 Digital Archaeology.

    – [ Laerke Recht, July 2016]

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11.3.2 Multilinear sequences

  1. Time consciousness: Husserl 1991 Consciousness Of Internal Time.

    – [ Laerke Recht, July 2016]

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11.3.4 Non-systemic sequences

  1. Types of surfing: Sheehan 2002 Internet Sessions.

    – [ Laerke Recht, August 2016]

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11.3.6 Semantic and lexical webs

  1. For the semantic web, see e.g. Berners- Lee &al 2001 Semantic, Berners- Lee &al 2008 Semantic and Richards 2006 E- Publication.

    – [ Laerke Recht, July 2016]

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11.4.2 The argument function of sorting

  1. Minard graphics: Friendly 2002 Minard.

    – [ Laerke Recht, July 2016]

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11.4.3 The argument function of a word search

  1. On the notion of non-occurrence see Levi- Strauss 1945 Analyse Structurale.

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11.4.4 Evaluation

  1. On the scholarly quality of open access documentation, especially with regard to peer review, see Kansa 2012 Openness, especially pp. 3-5.

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11.5 The narrative argument

  1. Joyce R 2002 Languages.

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11.5.1 Digital discourse, narrative, text

  1. Cognitive implications of multimedia learning, see Mayer 2005 Cambridge.

    – [ Laerke Recht, August 2016]

  2. Cf. literary digital narrative, Ryan 2002 Narrative In Digital Media.

    – [ Laerke Recht, August 2016]

  3. “Discourse”, Tilley 1990 Reading.

    – [August 2016]

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11.6 Digital humanities and digital humanism

  1. Panofsky 1955 Meaning.

  2. Frabetti F 2011 Rethinking.

  3. Burdick &al 2012 Digital.

  4. Digital thought and theory in archaeology, Earl &al 2013 Archaeology Digital Era; Shott 2014 Digitizing Archaeology. Cf. also the website d-discourse.

    – [ Laerke Recht, July 2016]

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11.6.1 Digital humanities: the technical domain

  1. Cf. Berry 2012 Digital Humanities.

    – [ Laerke Recht, July 2016]

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11.6.3 Perception

  1. Seminal works include Mc Luhan 1962 Gutenberg, Mc Luhan 1964 Understanding Media and Mc Luhan & Fiore 1967 Medium.

    – [ Laerke Recht, March 2016]

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11.9.2 From pre-literate to para-literate

  1. Consider this cuneiform tablet (Buccellati G 1966 Amorites, Plate VIII), from about 2000 B.C.

    It lists individual animals given to certain individuals on given days of a given month. The single red circle highlights the tally of the animals for a day, and the double red circle the total for that day. At the end of the tablet (leftmost column) the grand totals are given: the single blue line highlights the totals by type of animal, and the double blue line gives the final grand total, which in cuneiform reads: 5 times 60 (the large vertical wedges), plus 10 (the oblique wedge head), plus 4 (the smaller vertical wedges). The connection is clear among all the various steps. It is non-linear, because it presupposes conceptual jumps, evinced by the sequence and general arrangement.

  2. Early writing in Mesopotamia, Powell 2009 Writing.

    – [ Laerke Recht, August 2016]

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