A Regional Perspective on Government, Archaeology, and Economic Development: The Americas

Abstract

This paper considers archaeology, economic development, and government through a critical approach. It discusses the role of democracy, the rule of law, and the relationship between economic development and public policies aimed at improving the lives of ordinary people. It is argued that diminishing social inequalities are a shared concern and public policies are set up by democratic states to cope with this goal. The paper then turns to archaeology as a practice resulting from economic development and public policies. For the first century and a half, the discipline has been scholarly, elitist, and often colonialist. More recently, archaeology has been increasingly considered as a socially relevant endeavour in the Americas. Economic development, democracy, and the rule of law have been related in the last few decades. The paper concludes by stressing the role of public archaeology for a progressive role for archaeology in economic development in the future.