Ambiguous Matter
This paper explores mine waste that originates from resource extraction by specifically focusing on waste rock, tailings, dust and material culture from the resource extraction industry. By drawing on examples from fieldwork, archives, local media commentary and limited interviews from two iron-mini...
Published in: | Journal of Contemporary Archaeology |
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Equinox Publishing
2022
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/jca.21645 https://journal.equinoxpub.com/JCA/article/download/21645/25866 |
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crequinoxpubl:10.1558/jca.21645 2024-06-02T08:01:31+00:00 Ambiguous Matter The Life of Mine Waste Venovcevs, Anatolijs 2022 http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/jca.21645 https://journal.equinoxpub.com/JCA/article/download/21645/25866 unknown Equinox Publishing Journal of Contemporary Archaeology volume 9, issue 1, page 39-63 ISSN 2051-3437 2051-3429 journal-article 2022 crequinoxpubl https://doi.org/10.1558/jca.21645 2024-05-07T13:51:51Z This paper explores mine waste that originates from resource extraction by specifically focusing on waste rock, tailings, dust and material culture from the resource extraction industry. By drawing on examples from fieldwork, archives, local media commentary and limited interviews from two iron-mining regions in Arctic Norway and sub-Arctic Canada, this paper follows mine waste as it routinely transgresses attempts to be managed. Mine waste spills out of its prescribed sinks, it oscillates between being considered waste to heritage to potentially valuable commodity, and it blurs the boundaries between spaces dedicated for mining and for non-mining. In following these trends, the paper calls for attentiveness to the ambiguous materiality of mine waste and how heterogeneity and excess circumscribe attempts at easy characterisation and management of the ubiquitous wastes that come to dominate mining regions. As such, archaeological approaches to studying mine waste can illustrate how mine waste becomes the default, lived-with condition of life in regions dominated by ongoing mining operations. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Equinox Publishing Arctic Canada Norway Journal of Contemporary Archaeology 9 1 39 63 |
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Equinox Publishing |
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crequinoxpubl |
language |
unknown |
description |
This paper explores mine waste that originates from resource extraction by specifically focusing on waste rock, tailings, dust and material culture from the resource extraction industry. By drawing on examples from fieldwork, archives, local media commentary and limited interviews from two iron-mining regions in Arctic Norway and sub-Arctic Canada, this paper follows mine waste as it routinely transgresses attempts to be managed. Mine waste spills out of its prescribed sinks, it oscillates between being considered waste to heritage to potentially valuable commodity, and it blurs the boundaries between spaces dedicated for mining and for non-mining. In following these trends, the paper calls for attentiveness to the ambiguous materiality of mine waste and how heterogeneity and excess circumscribe attempts at easy characterisation and management of the ubiquitous wastes that come to dominate mining regions. As such, archaeological approaches to studying mine waste can illustrate how mine waste becomes the default, lived-with condition of life in regions dominated by ongoing mining operations. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Venovcevs, Anatolijs |
spellingShingle |
Venovcevs, Anatolijs Ambiguous Matter |
author_facet |
Venovcevs, Anatolijs |
author_sort |
Venovcevs, Anatolijs |
title |
Ambiguous Matter |
title_short |
Ambiguous Matter |
title_full |
Ambiguous Matter |
title_fullStr |
Ambiguous Matter |
title_full_unstemmed |
Ambiguous Matter |
title_sort |
ambiguous matter |
publisher |
Equinox Publishing |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/jca.21645 https://journal.equinoxpub.com/JCA/article/download/21645/25866 |
geographic |
Arctic Canada Norway |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Canada Norway |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
Journal of Contemporary Archaeology volume 9, issue 1, page 39-63 ISSN 2051-3437 2051-3429 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1558/jca.21645 |
container_title |
Journal of Contemporary Archaeology |
container_volume |
9 |
container_issue |
1 |
container_start_page |
39 |
op_container_end_page |
63 |
_version_ |
1800745913636880384 |