The Archaeology of Living Things (Vivifacts) in Virginia and Beyond

In this paper, I examine the potential of studying living things archaeologically. I adopt and expand the term ‘vivifact’ first proposed by Kawa, Painter, and Murray [2015. “Trail Trees: Living Artifacts (Vivifacts) of Eastern North America.” Ethnobiology Letters 6 (1): 183–188. doi:10.14237/ebl.6.1.2015.410], defined in this paper as any living plant or animal the appearance, features, or distribution of which can be understood as the product of past human action. The ethical considerations required by living artefacts are discussed. Different types of living things that can be grouped under the vivifact concept are then reviewed, including culturally modified trees, patterns of vegetation growth and living populations having traits selected for by past human activity. Practical approaches are described by which archaeologists can approach these resources. Two case studies are presented from Virginia, one describing vegetation survey in a wooded landscape and one examining modern sheep populations to better understand eighteenth-century sheep. However, the techniques described could be applied anywhere in the world. I propose that vivifacts are best understood through the lens of the systems that create and maintain them. The common ground uniting all living things is that they are produced and maintained by systems, and it is the examination of these systems that can serve to create a unified archaeology of living things.