Big data is often discussed as being this radical alternative to the hypothetical and deductive approach. But in archaeology, it’s providing us with a better generalized model to test against, or to fit alongside, the really localized things we’re doing. That way we can better contextualize the type of micro-historical research that we both think is going to continue to be archeology’s bread and butter for a long time
This is Parker VanValkenburgh of Brown University discussing recent work to develop online databases that enabled researchers to better understand the forced resettlement of the Inca Empire in the 1570s by Spanish conquerors.
Here’s the full article.
