Archaeology, Politics of

Abstract

Archaeologists have historically not seen their work as political, but the results of archaeological research have long been used for political purposes. Beginning in the 1980s, this view began to be challenged, and with the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) in 1990, it was no longer possible to see archaeology as apolitical. A brief history of archaeology and politics is outlined, ending with current questions of who pays for archaeological research and what is owed, issues of power and control, and the importance and relevance of alternative interpretations and perspectives. An analogy is drawn with medicine and the notion of authoritative knowledge versus alternative approaches. Using the repatriation of Native American human remains and sacred objects as an example, it is argued that archaeologists must understand that their work will be used for political purposes; they must actively involve Native American communities in their work, they must address the many publics interested in the past, they must expand the lines of evidence employed, and they must avoid a static view of the past.