IngentaConnect Practising Archaeology As if it Really Matters

Abstract:

People care about archaeology for a variety of competing reasons. Archaeologists no longer ignore this as they once did, but few have come to terms on a pragmatic level with their responsibility to the public. Here I outline my own ideas about public engagement and the place of ethnography in the archaeologist's professional practice. While long-term collaborations between archaeologists and others are almost always preferable, they are rarely feasible, and lofty ideals can have negative repercussions for daily practice and political action. I advocate Participatory Action Research (PAR) as a method that archaeologists untrained in ethnography can use to expediently develop ethnographically sensitive and respectful relationships. I also advocate that archaeologists be honest about what they are doing, why they are doing it, and how it relates to what they are actually trained to do. This is an important step since archaeologists need to be able to see themselves as one group of stakeholders with a right to advocate their position, but no right to ultimate control of the resources that they use to create an archaeological record. PAR is structured to ensure that project outcomes are not determined in advance. This means that the perspectives and objectives of archaeologists, even when they are allied with political and economic power, will not always prevail. I conclude with a description of a current community museums project I am supporting in Kyrgyzstan where I have put as much energy into transparency as into ethnography.

Keywords: ARCHAEOLOGICAL ETHICS; PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH (PAR); PUBLIC ARCHAEOLOGY; EMBODIED ARCHAEOLOGY

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1179/175355309X457204

Affiliations: 1: Department of Anthropology, Indiana University, 701 Kirkwood Avenue, Bloomington, IN 47405-7100, USA;, Email: apyburn@indiana.edu

The full text electronic article is available for purchase. You will be able to download the full text electronic article after payment.

$39.00 plus tax Refund Policy

Practising Archaeology — As if it Really Matters