Visual Archaeology: The use of Photography in the production of Archaeological knowledge and to the History of Archaeology

Abstract

This paper presents perspectives for the study of visual data produced by archaeologists during their research. The conscious use of photographic images as variations of a broader archaeological record system, including its systematic production, dissemination and context in the production of scientific knowledge are reviewed in this preliminary study. From the earliest archaeological photographs produced in the nineteenth century, scientific catalogs and manuals, and until recently, with the accelerated development of digital technologies to capture and produce visual images of old photoworks with analytical potential and interpretive perspectives, this work contributes to the understanding about the scientific use of field and laboratory photographs with its relationship with the historiography of archaeology with contribution to Visual Archaeology.