Studies of collecting and fieldwork in the disciplines of archaeology and socio-cultural anthropology are relatively undeveloped, but in the last decade there has been a noticeable rise in interest as part of a broader reflexivity in the practices of these and related disciplines. Collecting, studied from a psychological perspective has a longer history, especially through Freudian interpretations that linked it with the anal retentive stage, thus associating it with certain personality traits. However, as part of a wider discourse, it is a fairly recent topic of investigation and has been...

Studies of collecting and fieldwork in the disciplines of archaeology and socio-cultural anthropology are relatively undeveloped, but in the last decade there has been a noticeable rise in interest as part of a broader reflexivity in the practices of these and related disciplines. Collecting, studied from a psychological perspective has a longer history, especially through Freudian interpretations that linked it with the anal retentive stage, thus associating it with certain personality traits. However, as part of a wider discourse, it is a fairly recent topic of investigation and has been generally approached either in the context of consumer research or more commonly, museum studies. This article traces the consequences of fieldwork and ways of interpreting the same. This distinction shares a similar focus on retrieving and collecting material culture. This article further discusses the status of fieldwork as it is today with special reference to anthropology and archaeology.