It’s about knowledge not systems: a contribution to a complex discussion of good, bad and ugly production of archaeological knowledge in Europe

Abstract

Generating new knowledge in rescue archaeology is the prime goal regardless of which system is dominant. The market-oriented ‘capitalist’ model does not generate new knowledge in an adequate way, because it is volatile and prone to crises, and often detached from a wider up-to-date scientific environment. The ‘Dutch’ model presented by Van de Dries as a compromise between the state-financed ‘socialist’ and ‘capitalist’ models is here criticized. It is suggested that the Norwegian and Swedish state-supported models hold the greatest potential. A further point is that large museums or university museums may be the best place to locate excavation units as it is only there that we can play out in full the potential for knowledge production and management, processing as well as disseminating material culture as more than just texts. Generating knowledge at museums, from research-oriented field work to research-generating exhibitions involves the local authorities in a better way than does the Dutch model.