What is 'culture'?

In the past, cultures were regarded as static, unchanging and inherent characteristics of human groups. Today they are understood as variations of learned and socially transmitted ways of life shared by people, who may have diverse backgrounds and partake in different traditions at the same time. While these sets of ideas, habits, and practices frequently have a geographic aspect, they are no longer seen as proxies of monolithic ‘peoples’, necessarily tied to specific places, or defining the identities of individuals. The material and visual culture (artifacts, art, architecture, written documents, etc.) left behind by humans are the primary means of interpreting and reconstructing cultures, thus understood, in archaeology. The interpretation of the archaeological record allows an understanding of how people lived their lives in the past, rather than a definition of their identity as ‘peoples’ from the outside looking in. Thinking about Nubian cultures is constantly evolving as scholars grapple with better terms by which to describe the many lifeways of ancient people.