Commentary: debating ethics in African archaeology

Abstract

In a recent intervention, Alejandro Haber and I have questioned the extent to which discussions under the heading of ethics continue to provide a useful framework within which to conceptualise the complex and politically entangled contexts in which archaeologists work. Notwithstanding these concerns, the papers collected here show why discussions under the heading of ethics in archaeology do still matter. I briefly discuss the argument presented by each paper. In concluding, I ask: what would it mean for African archaeologists to articulate a theory of practice? And does the language of ethics best enable us to do this?