Abstract
Long an analytical staple of historical archaeology, capitalism in recent years has found itself under renewed scrutiny, due in part to the repercussions of the 2008 global economic crisis. Questions about the failings of “free-market” self-regulation and the proliferation of predatory practices and value-manipulation instruments fostered discussions about what, in fact, the “true” nature of capitalism was, and whether such practices, drawing on extra-economic power, violence, and various forms of coercion in the name of unequal accumulation, were aberrational or foundational. A space emerges within these discussions for a critical rethinking of capitalism through the emerging contributions of feminist, new materialist, actor-network, and (post-)Marxist perspectives that emphasize the diverse mechanisms and practices generative of the effects attributed variously to an abstract, monolithic, epoch-defining capitalist system. The approaches articulated in this thematic collection push for a move away from limiting and inconsistent definitions of capitalism, and toward a more supple suite of analytical threads for the cross-context analysis of diverse assemblages with diverse histories of emergence that generate parallel capitalist effects. In turn, the contributors to this collection illustrate the broader relevance of the contributions of historical archaeologies of capitalism to other archaeological contexts and subdisciplines by providing common ground for the comparative analysis of contexts generative of similar human/nonhuman experiences and effects that have remained categorically segregated in their analyses.
Extracto
Durante mucho tiempo un elemento analítico básico de la arqueología histórica, el capitalismo en los últimos años se ha visto sometido a un nuevo escrutinio, debido en parte a las repercusiones de la crisis económica mundial de 2008. Los interrogantes sobre las fallas de la autorregulación del “libre mercado” y la proliferación de prácticas depredadoras e instrumentos de manipulación de valores fomentaron las discusiones acerca de cuál era, de hecho, la naturaleza “verdadera” del capitalismo y si dichas prácticas, utilizando aspectos extraeconómicos como el poder, la violencia y las diversas formas de coerción en nombre de la acumulación desigual, eran una aberración o fundacionales. Un espacio emerge dentro de estas discusiones para un replanteamiento crítico del capitalismo a través de las contribuciones emergentes de perspectivas de feministas, materialistas nuevos, redes de actores y (post)marxistas que enfatizan los diversos mecanismos y prácticas que generan los efectos atribuidos de manera diversa a un sistema capitalista abstracto, monolítico y definitorio de la época. Los enfoques articulados en esta colección temática empujan a alejarse de las definiciones limitantes e inconsistentes del capitalismo, y hacia un conjunto más flexible de hilos analíticos para el análisis de contexto cruzado de diversos conjuntos con diversas historias de emergencias que generan efectos capitalistas paralelos. A su vez, los colaboradores de esta colección ilustran la relevancia más amplia de las contribuciones de las arqueologías históricas del capitalismo a otros contextos arqueológicos y subdisciplinas al proporcionar un terreno común para el análisis comparativo de contextos generadores de experiencias y efectos humanos / no humanos similares que se han mantenido categóricamente segregados en sus análisis.
Résumé
Le capitalisme qui a été pendant longtemps un sujet analytique récurrent de l'archéologie historique, a fait l'objet au cours des années récentes d'un intérêt renouvelé, dû en partie aux répercussions de la crise économique mondiale de 2008. Les questions relatives aux carences de l'auto-régulation de “l'économie de marché” ainsi qu'à la prolifération des pratiques prédatrices et des instruments de manipulation de la valeur ont nourri des discussions sur ce qu'était en réalité la « véritable » nature du capitalisme, et si de telles pratiques s'appuyant sur un pouvoir extra-économique, mais aussi la violence et différentes formes de coercition au nom d'une accumulation inégalitaire, constituaient une aberration ou son fondement même. Un espace apparaît au sein de ces discussions pour un nouvel examen critique du capitalisme grâce aux contributions émergentes de perspectives issues du féminisme, du nouveau matérialisme, de réseaux d'intervenants mais aussi (post-)marxistes. Celles-ci mettent l'accent sur les divers mécanismes et pratiques conduisant aux effets attribués de différentes façons à un système capitaliste abstrait, monolithique et définissant une époque. Les approches articulées dans cette collection thématique sont en faveur d'une distanciation à l'égard des définitions réductrices et contradictoires du capitalisme. Elles privilégient une suite plus flexible de fils analytiques aux fins d'une analyse contextuelle croisée d'assemblages divers reliant des histoires variées d'émergence générant des effets capitalistes parallèles. Les contributeurs de cette collection illustrent quant à eux la pertinence plus large des contributions des archéologies historiques du capitalisme à l'égard d'autres contextes et sous-disciplines archéologiques, grâce à l'apport d'un tronc commun pour l'analyse comparative de contextes créateurs d'expériences humaines/non-humaines similaires et d'effets demeurés catégoriquement isolés dans leurs analyses.
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Notes
Also see Ho (2005) for discussion of how ideas about the “natural” laws of markets inform practices that, in a form of self-fulfilling prophecy, reproduce those laws.
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Pezzarossi, G. Introduction: Rethinking the Archaeology of Capitalism: Coercion, Violence, and the Politics of Accumulation. Hist Arch 53, 453–467 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-019-00203-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s41636-019-00203-w