Erik Solfeldt

My doctoral project explores the relation between animism(s) and material culture, especially humanoid figurines, of northern Eurasia. By studying the animistic syncretism(s) of the recent past and present siberian hunter-fisher-herders I seek to deconstruct archaeological interpretations which rest upon western ontological preconceptions and suggest other, more plausible, ways of dealing with the animism(s) of Prehistoric hunter-fisher-gatherers. 

The project can be described as both interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary. Interdisciplinary as I aim to create a theoretical dialogue between the archaeological material and the ethnographic material(s) and transdisciplinary as parts of the project is done together with Indigenous informants and an Indigenous filmmaker and photographer.