Abstract
This essay addresses debates over the study of archaeological art objects. I review and recognise value in Gell's ideas about the social agency of art, Scott's challenge to consider local significance in evaluating ancient artistic expressions, and Meskell, Gosden et al. on notions of biography or life history as applied to cultural objects. In the last regard, it is recognised that many indigenous communities continue to care for and recreate ancestral images as culturally active productions at historical and more recent sites of significance. Taking this lead, I argue that the analysis of cultural historical space is critical to achieve a meaningful social understanding of archaeological images in place. I illustrate the point with reference to Polynesian studies involving historical and contemporary interpretations of erect archaeological images, including biologically and culturally live Moriori tree carvings on Rēkohu (Chatham Island).