Lang, M.-K., & Tsetsentsolmon, B. (2026). Parallel Excavations: Digging into Enchanted Landscapes. Mongolian Journal of Anthropology, Archaeology and Ethnology, 15(1), 20–27. Retrieved from https://journal.num.edu.mn/MJAAE/article/view/11037
Abstract
Drawing on three ethnographic examples from different research projects and based on collaborative fieldwork, the authors develop an anthropology of digging by highlighting the effects, human and more-than-human reactions, or resistance to the displacement of artefacts, the extraction of mineral resources and archaeological excavations. How is the intrusion into Mongolian soil, which is widely considered as taboo, perceived from different perspectives, for example by mobile herders, Buddhists, Shamans, drivers, archaeologists, and social anthropologists? They argue that any form of digging the ground is seen as an intrusion that might provoke the anger of local spirits and is deeply interwoven with the sacred landscape. Nonetheless the field work examples also show that the interactions between humans and non-humans are flexible and adapt to the circumstances.