Skeuomorphism in digital archaeological practice: A barrier to progress, or a vital cog in the wheels of change?

Drawing upon the author’s combined experiences of developing digital field workflows at the sites of Çatalhöyük in Turkey and Kämpinge in Sweden, this paper will discuss the role of skeuomorphism within the context of digital archaeological practice, and specifically, it will focus upon the ways that the use of digital technology affects the epistemological processes associated with fieldwork. In doing so it will examine whether common trends towards skeuomorphism in digital structure and practice may actually form an essential part of the process of ‘getting to grips’ with new digital technologies and shape a conceptual framework for this process. This framework will be discussed within the context of wider disciplinary trends and theory and ultimately a case will me made that skeuomorphism may need to be embraced if, as a discipline, we are going to explore the potential of emergent digital technologies to transform our digital practice in the long term