Ethical issues in archaeology

Abstract

tributed papers, divided into four sections. Part I looks at the origins and development of archaeological ethics. Alison Wylie (Chapter 1) provides an interesting, although brief, look at how archaeological ethics fit into the larger philosophical field. She defines ethics as standards that guide our actions and prescribe and prohibit certain kinds of behaviour. She also points out the difference between ethical justifications based on consequence (i.e., the action's effect) and those based on a deontological approach (i.e., the action's intrinsic qualities) . These two approaches frame the philosophical arena in which the other contributors joust. In Chapter 2, Mark Lynott provides a history of ethics in North American archaeology, principally focused on the development of professional codes. Part II deals with responsibilities to the archaeological record. Chapters 3 (Neil Brodie and David Gill) and 4 (Julie Hollowell-Zimmer) address high and low-end looting. The former serves the international antiquities market while the latter serves small local mar-