The challenge facing the practitioner of the traditional field survey is whether their role should reflect aspects of their social experience rather than a sole site inspection. Field archaeologists record information they acquire during surveys under headings such as 'local information' or 'local knowledge'. This local knowledge is embedded in the constituent parts of the landscape, which makes up the living history of a community. The title is intended to generate debate about how the archaeologist defines 'local knowledge' and how a sense of local knowledge can be incorporated within archaeological research.
Local knowledge is present wherever there is a community, in both rural and urban environments.
Moving on from acquiring a sense of local knowledge, we are faced with how we treat such invaluable information. It is the intention that the title should be attractive to archaeologists on both the theoretical and practical dimensions, thereby enhancing the discussion. It is also the intention of the title to attract disciplines other than mainstream archaeology. Palaeoecology and phenomenology - integrating 'scientific' and 'theoretical' approaches to landscape interpretation Henry P Chapman and Benjamin R Gearey Interpretation of archaeological landscapes are currently split into two main approaches. The first may be identified as the 'scientific' study of physical remains such as pollen to reconstruct palaeoenvironments.