Media Archaeology: Etymology/Term, Meanings and Concept
Etymology/Term:
Media archaeology is a multidisciplinary field that originated in the 1980s and gained prominence in the 1990s. The term combines “media” and “archaeology” to convey its focus on excavating and exploring the layers of media technologies throughout history. It is rooted in the idea of treating media technologies as cultural artifacts, examining their evolution, materiality, and cultural significance.
Meanings and Concept:
- Temporal Exploration: It involves delving into the historical development of media technologies, uncovering forgotten or overlooked devices and systems. It seeks to unearth the temporal layers of media history, emphasizing discontinuities and alternative paths.
- Materiality and Obsolescence: The field considers the material aspects of media technologies, examining the physical components and their impact on culture. It addresses the concept of media obsolescence, studying how technologies become outdated and exploring their lingering effects.
- Cultural Context: It places media technologies within their cultural contexts, investigating how they shape and are shaped by societal norms, practices, and ideologies. It explores the reciprocal relationship between media and culture over time.
- Media as Cultural Palimpsest: Viewing media as a cultural palimpsest, media archaeology suggests that new technologies often build upon and erase older ones, leaving traces that can be deciphered to understand technological and cultural transitions.
- Counter-History and Alternative Narratives: It challenges mainstream historical narratives by uncovering forgotten or suppressed aspects of media history. It seeks alternative perspectives, emphasizing the importance of considering marginalized or neglected media technologies and practices.
- Methodological Approaches: It employ diverse methodological approaches, including hands-on experimentation, archival research, and theoretical analysis. This interdisciplinary methodology draws from fields such as media studies, archaeology, cultural studies, and history.
Media archaeology, therefore, serves as a critical and exploratory lens through which scholars analyze the dynamic interplay between media technologies, culture, and history.
Media Archaeology: Definition of a Theoretical Term
Media archaeology is a theoretical term that refers to the interdisciplinary study of media technologies and their cultural implications. It involves excavating and analyzing the historical layers of media, exploring forgotten or overlooked technologies and practices. Media archaeologists employ a critical and theoretical approach to understand the complex interplay between media, culture, and technological evolution over time.
Media Archaeology: Theorists, Works and Argument
| Theorists | Works | Argument |
| Friedrich Kittler | Gramophone, Film, Typewriter | Kittler argued that it shape discourse and power structures, examining the impact of writing, photography, and other media on culture. |
| Wolfgang Ernst | Digital Memory and the Archive | Ernst focuses on the materiality of digital media, emphasizing the shift from analog to digital and the implications for memory, archiving, and cultural heritage. |
| Jussi Parikka | What is Media Archaeology? | Parikka provides an overview, exploring its methodologies and arguing for the importance of understanding media history beyond conventional narratives. |
| Erkki Huhtamo | Media Archaeology: Approaches, Applications, and Implications | Huhtamo examines it as a methodology, exploring its applications in understanding media cultures, materiality, and the dynamics of technological change. |
| Siegfried Zielinski | Deep Time of the Media: Toward an Archaeology of Hearing and Seeing by Technical Means | Zielinski proposes an archaeology of media as a “deep time” exploration, emphasizing the importance of non-linear, alternative histories of media technologies. |
Media Archaeology: Major Characteristics
- Temporal Exploration: It involves a deep investigation into the historical development of media technologies, emphasizing the evolution of devices over time and uncovering forgotten or obsolete technologies.
- Materiality Focus: The field highlights the material aspects of media, examining the physical components and structures of technologies. It considers how the materiality of media contributes to their cultural significance.
- Cultural Context: It places media technologies within their cultural contexts, exploring the reciprocal relationship between media and society. It seeks to understand how media technologies shape and are shaped by cultural practices, norms, and ideologies.
- Alternative Histories: It challenges conventional historical narratives, seeking alternative perspectives on the development of media technologies. It often brings attention to marginalized or overlooked technologies and practices.
- Interdisciplinary Methodologies: Scholars employ diverse methodological approaches, including hands-on experimentation, archival research, and theoretical analysis. This interdisciplinary nature allows for a holistic understanding of media’s historical and cultural dimensions.
Examples in Literary Works:
- Wolfgang Ernst’s “Digital Memory and the Archive”: Ernst explores the materiality of digital media, focusing on how the transition from analog to digital technologies has influenced memory, archiving practices, and cultural heritage.
- Friedrich Kittler’s “Gramophone, Film, Typewriter”: Kittler’s work delves into the impact of media technologies on discourse and power structures, emphasizing the role of writing, photography, and other media in shaping cultural dynamics.
- Jussi Parikka’s “What is Media Archaeology?”: Parikka provides an overview of media archaeology, introducing its methodologies and arguing for the importance of understanding media history beyond traditional narratives.
- Siegfried Zielinski’s “Deep Time of the Media”: Zielinski proposes an archaeology of media as a “deep time” exploration, advocating for non-linear, alternative histories of media technologies that go beyond chronological accounts.
- Erkki Huhtamo’s “Media Archaeology: Approaches, Applications, and Implications”: Huhtamo examines media archaeology as a methodology, exploring its applications in understanding media cultures, materiality, and the dynamics of technological change.
Media Archaeology: Relevance in Literary Theories
| Literary Theory | Relevance of Media Archaeology |
| Postmodernism | It aligns with postmodernism by deconstructing linear narratives, exploring alternative histories, and challenging established cultural norms through a focus on diverse media technologies. |
| Cultural Studies | In cultural studies, it is relevant for understanding the reciprocal relationship between media and culture. It provides insights into how media technologies shape and are shaped by cultural practices, ideologies, and power dynamics. |
| New Historicism | It complements new historicism by emphasizing the historical context of media technologies. It allows scholars to examine how media artifacts reflect and influence the socio-political and cultural milieu of their time. |
| Media Theory | Given its roots in media studies, it is directly relevant to media theory. It contributes by exploring the evolution of media technologies, their materiality, and the cultural implications, offering a historical perspective on media. |
| Feminist Literary Theory | It can be employed in feminist literary theory to uncover overlooked or marginalized voices and technologies. It allows for a critical examination of how gender is implicated in the development and use of media technologies. |
| Marxist Literary Theory | Marxist literary theory can utilize media archaeology to investigate the economic and material aspects of media production. It provides insights into how media technologies contribute to or challenge existing power structures and capitalist dynamics. |
Each literary theory can benefit from the insights provided by media archaeology, as it offers a unique lens for examining the intersection of media, culture, and history in the context of diverse theoretical frameworks.
Media Archaeology: Application in Critiques
- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury:
- Lens: Media archaeology can be applied to analyze the impact of various media technologies in the dystopian world depicted in Fahrenheit 451. This includes the role of television, interactive media, and the suppression of books. It delves into how the author’s portrayal of a society obsessed with screens and instant gratification reflects concerns about the influence of mass media on intellectual and cultural life.
- Neuromancer by William Gibson:
- Lens: In this cyberpunk classic, Media Archaeology can be employed to trace the evolution of digital and virtual technologies. Analyzing Gibson’s futuristic vision in the context of the book’s publication date (1984), one can explore how the author anticipated and reflected on emerging technologies like cyberspace, hacking, and artificial intelligence.
- Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson:
- Lens: Stephenson’s novel presents a futuristic world where the virtual and physical realms intersect. Media archaeology can be used to examine how the author envisions the convergence of linguistic, cultural, and digital systems. By exploring the novel’s portrayal of a virtual metaverse and its implications on society, Media Archaeology can provide insights into the techno-cultural landscape depicted in Snow Crash.
- The Circle by Dave Eggers:
- Lens: Eggers’ novel explores the impact of a powerful tech company on individual privacy and societal norms. Media archaeology can be applied to dissect the technological artifacts within the narrative, such as the development of social media platforms, surveillance technologies, and the implications of a fully transparent society. It provides a critical perspective on how the novel reflects and comments on contemporary media trends.
In these critiques, Media Archaeology serves as a valuable analytical tool to understand how these literary works engage with and comment on the media technologies of their respective eras. It allows for a nuanced exploration of the intersections between fiction, technology, and cultural critique.
Media Archaeology: Relevant Terms
| Theoretical Term | Brief Description |
| Remediation | The process of representing one medium in another, exploring how media technologies influence storytelling. |
| Hauntology | Examines the persistence of obsolete technologies and their lingering impact on cultural and literary landscapes. |
| Cybernetics | Investigates the interrelation between communication technologies and human systems, often in a cybernetic feedback loop. |
| Hypermediacy | The presentation of multiple media elements simultaneously, challenging traditional notions of narrative coherence. |
| Palimpsest | Describes the layering of old and new media, suggesting that contemporary media builds upon and erases previous forms. |
| Networked Narrative | Explores storytelling in the context of interconnected digital networks, emphasizing the collaborative and distributed nature of narratives. |
| Posthumanism | Considers the blurring boundaries between humans and technology, often examining how media shapes perceptions of humanity. |
| Simulacra | The representation of reality through media, questioning the authenticity and originality of mediated experiences. |
| Affective Computing | Examines the emotional interactions between humans and computers, considering how emotions are mediated through technology. |
| Cyberpunk | A genre that often explores the intersection of high-tech and low-life, addressing the impact of advanced technologies on society. |
Media Archaeology: Suggested Readings
- Ernst, Wolfgang. Digital Memory and the Archive. U of Minnesota P, 2012.
- Huhtamo, Erkki. Media Archaeology: Approaches, Applications, and Implications. U of California P, 2011.
- Kittler, Friedrich. Gramophone, Film, Typewriter. Stanford UP, 1999.
- Parikka, Jussi. What is Media Archaeology? Polity, 2012.
- Zielinski, Siegfried. Deep Time of the Media: Toward an Archaeology of Hearing and Seeing by Technical Means. MIT P, 2008.
- Gitelman, Lisa. Always Already New: Media, History, and the Data of Culture. MIT P, 2006.
- Sterne, Jonathan. MP3: The Meaning of a Format. Duke UP, 2012.
- Ernst, Wolfgang. Sonic Time Machines: Explicit Sound, Sirenic Voices, and Implicit Sonicity. Amsterdam UP, 2016.
- Parikka, Jussi. Insect Media: An Archaeology of Animals and Technology. U of Minnesota P, 2010.
- Fuller, Matthew. Media Ecologies: Materialist Energies in Art and Technoculture. MIT P, 2005.