The basics of archaeosemiotics

Abstract

The interpretation of the material remains bequeathed to us by the cultures of the past is a subject that both occupies and worries archaeologists and other specialists, since the possibility of designing analytical methods and techniques to perform this task requires approaches that transcend disciplinary boundaries. Semiotics —understood as the study of sign systems and their signification— holds a privileged place regarding this field of knowledge. However, far from being an auxiliary discipline of archaeological studies, archaeosemiotics has the obligation to focus on the cultures of the past as significant phenomena, thus avoiding the substitution of traditional archaeological approaches. This article presents —and justifies— an analytical model for the use of archaeosemiotics in this field based on the recognition of three fundamental dimensions of meaning: appearance, presentation and presence.