value-free interpretation
value-free interpretation [Th].Within a scientifically constituted archaeology the idea of value-free interpretation means aspiring to the exclusion of value-laden terms and value judgements. While it is accepted that the selection of material for investigation involves value judgements about how interesting or relevant it may be on the basis of academic or professional values, the overall aim is to separate ‘facts’ from ‘interpretation’. That this is either possible or desirable has been widely challenged. As an alternative it is argued that archaeologists should take full responsibility for their work and not try to detach themselves from issues of cultural politics or contemporary social articulations; archaeologists cannot justifiably claim to be concerned with neutral knowledge separable from the conditions within which it is produced and applied.
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