考古資料的脈絡分析：以瑪瑙珠與硬陶甕為例談起

Context Analysis of Archaeological Materials: Case Studies in Agate Beads and Stoneware Jars in Southeast Asia

歷史考古學的貢獻，不僅在於增加新的出土文物，而且是提供具有時空脈絡訊息的出土材料。考古資料的脈絡訊息，在透過有系統的分析探討後，才形成真正有價值的歷史知識。臺灣歷史考古學的一項重要課題，是關於臺灣在參與到早期現代世界體系形成過程中，外來物品進入到臺灣本土的物的意義與價值體系的探討，而這個課題必須要透過有系統的脈絡分析考古資料方得以有效探討。本文的目的有二：一方面透過檢討東南亞考古學與民族學對於瑪瑙珠與硬陶甕兩項物品的研究，嘗試說明外來物轉化為原生物的物質文化變遷，對考古學研究所具有的意義與挑戰。這兩類物品都是臺灣與島嶼東南亞歷史考古脈絡中經常接觸到的外來物品，考古科學日新月異的進展，對於所謂外來物質的分析成果推陳出新，不斷更新我們對於出土遺物的認識。然而民族誌資料顯示許多東南亞社會，會將所珍視的瑪瑙珠以及硬陶甕認定為傳自祖先的原生器物，即使科學分析證實為外來物品。考古學研究不當過於熱衷於科學分析技術的進展，只是在證實出土遺物的原料或技術來源，還必須與社會文化理論攜手，關切外來物品在特定遺址脈絡中的角色與意義，探討特定社會所展現在物質文化上的異／我之分，及其變遷。畢竟這方是朝向考古學者所試圖理解的社會文化議題。第二部分則透過兩個研究個案的探討，說明如何透過遺物出土脈絡的空間分佈、伴隨模式等變項，據此探索考古學如何理解物品價值的課題。近年來人文社會科學理論在物質文化方面的探討，改進了考古學在這方面的研究方法。物的價值體系展現在特定脈絡中對於不同物品的差別待遇，在考古學研究中則可以透過對於出土遺物的脈絡分析，特別是空間分佈的差異模式，以及器物伴隨出土的模式等現象的細膩分析，來合理的推論、建構可能的物品價值體系。透過歐洲東地中海青銅時代的美錫尼類型陶器研究，以及菲律賓呂宋島上，早期現代時期墓葬群中的貿易陶瓷研究，本文嘗試說明此種研究取向的可行貢獻。

The purpose of historical archaeology is not to pile up newly discovered objects but to provide contextual information for unearthed materials. One of the key issues in Taiwanese historical archaeology is how exotic goods were integrated into the existing meaning and value systems of local objects in Taiwan pursuant to participation in the early modern world system. This question could produce valuable historical knowledge through the systematic analysis of archaeological materials with contextual information.This paper serves two purposes: firstly, to examine how exogenous materials become treated as indigenous objects via the archaeological and ethnographic studies of agate beads and stoneware jars in Southeast Asia, two types of objects commonly discussed in Taiwanese and Island Southeast Asian historical archaeology. Continuing advances in the archaeological sciences constantly renew our understanding of unearthed objects. However, ethnographic evidence shows many Southeast Asian societies treat those cherished agate beads and stoneware jars as indigenous objects passed down from their ancestors, even though those same objects were shown by scientific analysis to be exogenous materials. This tells us that archaeological study should be more than the scientific analysis of an object's geographic and technological origin; it needs to take into account of socio-cultural theories in order to appreciate the role and meaning of exotic objects within specific contexts, which is the ultimate goal of archaeological study.The second purpose is to examine how value could be studied archaeologically by utilising information on the spatial distribution and association of discovered objects. Recent advances in the study of material culture have improved archaeological understanding, which suggests that the valuation system could be reconstructed by looking at the differentiation of usage in specific contexts. In other words, a reasonable reconstruction of a value system could be made by a detailed context analysis, especially the spatial pattern of discoveries and association of objects. This paper attempts to approach this issue using two case-studies: one of pottery in the Bronze Age of East Mediterranean, and another dealing with trade ceramics found in early modern Luzon in the Philippines.