Public Archaeologists Research Articles

Review: The Nine Lives of Florida’s Famous Key Marco Cat, by Austin J. Bell

Book Review| May 01 2023 Review: The Nine Lives of Florida’s Famous Key Marco Cat, by Austin J. Bell The Nine Lives of Florida’s Famous Key Marco Cat by Austin J. Bell. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2021. xi + 240 pp.; notes, bibliography, index; clothbound, $26.95; eBook, $25.60. Traci Ardren Traci Ardren University of Miami Search for other works by this author on: This Site PubMed Google Scholar The Public Historian (2023) 45 (2): 143–145. https://doi.org/10.1525/tph.2023.45.2.143 Views Icon Views Article contents Figures & tables Video Audio Supplementary Data Peer Review Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Cite Icon Cite Search Site Citation Traci Ardren; Review: The Nine Lives of Florida’s Famous Key Marco Cat, by Austin J. Bell. The Public Historian 1 May 2023; 45 (2): 143–145. doi: https://doi.org/10.1525/tph.2023.45.2.143 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Reference Manager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentThe Public Historian Search In The Nine Lives of Florida’s Famous Key Marco Cat, Austin Bell provides us with an engaging and detailed object biography of one of the most iconic artifacts from pre-Columbian North America. This volume is filled with fascinating details of the life history of this small wooden icon, and the amazing expedition which retrieved it from a remote Florida island. Bell takes the reader along a narrative ride that begins before the cat is carved by an Indigenous artist and concludes with the display of the object in the Marco Island Historical Museum in the present day. Speaking to public historians, museum professionals, public archaeologists, and especially the general reader interested in the story of how artifacts become museum art objects, The Nine Lives is written in easily accessible and concise prose. Bell is the world’s expert on the cat and has produced a volume that is sure to... You do not currently have access to this content.

Introduction to Special issue

Introduction to Special issue

A Cave, a Village, and the Sea in Between: Community Outreach Efforts in the Southern Argolid

Abstract Franchthi Cave, a prehistoric site in southern Greece, became the target of archaeological excavation in the 1960s and 1970s. For the last five decades, archaeologists have been analyzing the excavated material and piecing together what life was like for the cave's prehistoric inhabitants. In this article, I turn away from the archaeological analyses and interpretations. I focus, instead, on the people who live in the nearby fishing village of Kilada and have been in constant visual, conceptual, and/or physical interaction with the cave. I explore the local people's experiences and understandings of the cave, discuss their perspectives on the archaeologists who excavated it, and tell the story of the attempts we archaeologists have made (and un-made) to connect with the local community. I have deliberately chosen a personal and somewhat poetic writing style to best convey my own engagement with the people of Kilada as well as my personal growth as a public archaeologist.

Exploring your Inner Hades: DNA as Mortuary Archaeology

Two revolutions in using human genetics to investigate the past are beginning to have a profound effect on how the public regard heritage and their connection to it. Direct-to-consumer genetic ancestry tests (GATs) are becoming a popular way for the public to explore their familial history and ancestry. Major advances in ancient DNA methods mean that the field is beginning to live up to its early promise. Both of these analyses can be considered forms of public mortuary archaeology in how they are perceived to provide an individual an interface with their recent and more ancient ancestors, their own personal Hades, referring to the Ancient Greek home of the dead. GATs are useful for resolving genealogy and determining the origins of an individual’s recent ancestors, but have been criticized for reifying differences between populations, failing to give clear guidance on how they should be interpreted and making exaggerated links to historic groups of people that are at the heart of genetically determinist nationalistic origin myths. Recent palaeogenomic studies of prehistoric Europeans have found evidence for population discontinuity that will have repercussions for the public’s perception of archaeological mortuary sites and the communities who built them. Public archaeologists are going to have to engage increasingly with these types of data to combat the misappropriation of genetic results in defining rights and affinities to archaeological heritage.

Ethical Challenges in Digital Public Archaeology

This paper focuses specifically on the ethical challenges to the field of digital archaeology and the concerns of the digital public archaeologist. It considers the notions of digital research and ethical data collection, the social and political tensions implicit in digital communications on archaeological topics, and the possible effects on ethical concerns through post-processual approaches to participatory forms of digital media. Through an unpicking of these framings of professional and public interaction with archaeology and archaeologists in digital spaces, this paper proposes several future directions for ethical research, codes of conduct, and practice in digital archaeology.

Introduction: Emerging approaches to public archaeology

The papers in this special volume originated in two separate sessions of the 2012 Theoretical Archaeology Group conference held at the University of Liverpool ('Decentering the discipline: archaeology and extra-archaeological communities' and 'New approaches to archaeological outreach, engagement and ownership'). Both recognised the momentum that the study and practice of public archaeology has gained in recent years, an observation supported by the fact that the lecture theatres were filled to capacity during the sessions. They offered an exploration of new ways of approaching some of the multitude of challenges posed towards public archaeologists, especially informed by the state of public archaeology in the United Kingdom, but also informed by and responding to broader debates.

Cemeteries as Participatory Museums

AbstractPreservationists and archaeologists often assess cemeteries for their research value as cultural resources of communities. Cemeteries hold significant interpretive and educational value because they serve communities as outdoor museums (Meyers 1996). The Cemetery Resource Protection Training (CRPT) workshop, developed by the Florida Public Archaeology Network (FPAN), engages the public by providing an archaeological perspective and hands-on experiences for local communities to aid them in addressing the real-world problem of neglected historic cemeteries. After completing over 36 workshops in 28 different communities, the CRPT workshop template has proven to be a highly transferable means to provide education and outreach to underserved communities and sites, as directed in FPAN’s mission. This paper considers cemeteries as participatory museums using Nina Simon’s (2010) co-creation framework. Following a brief summary of cemetery training programs and a review of the larger cemetery crisis in Florida, the rationale for creation of the CRPT program and building blocks of the workshop are provided for other public archaeologists to adapt for training cemetery stewards. Finally, the creation of training opportunities for nonprofessionals as an advance in public archaeology practice is discussed.

Tracing the Roots of Municipal Archaeology in St Augustine, Florida: The Story of How ‘The Oldest City’ Connected Archaeology, Local Government, and the Public

This article explores the history of public archaeology in St Augustine, Florida, and identifies lessons that may be useful for archaeologists looking to develop a stronger relationship with the public. The City of St Augustine has developed an archaeology ordinance, it keeps an archaeologist on staff, and it boasts a grassroots non-profit organization dedicated to supporting archaeology in the city. This framework is the result of a conversation that has been taking place within the community since the 1930s. As public archaeologists seek new ways of establishing long-term relationships with community groups, this exceptional programme, which only exists because of community support, provides insights into how to build those relationships on a solid foundation.

Dynamics of Inclusion in Public Archaeology: An Introduction

With generous funding from the Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, the Dynamics of Inclusion in Public Archaeology workshop was held September 17–18, 2010 at the African Burial Ground National Monument in New York City. The workshop consisted of one day devoted to the presentation and discussion of original papers, eight of which are included in this collection. The second day of the workshop included a public program on ‘‘Archaeology and the Public in New York’’ as well as reflection on the workshop and public event by workshop participants. The workshop was organized by Christopher N. Matthews, Patrice L. Jeppson, and Carol McDavid. Participants included Anna Agbe-Davies, Linda Derry, John Carman, Patricia Carman, Pedro Funari, Cheryl J. LaRoche, Jed Levin Morag Kersel, Nick Shepherd, and Kerry F. Thompson. The workshop was planned in order to bring together a diverse set of public archaeologists representing varied areas of scholarly interest, global locations, and professional positions to explore questions about the actual participation of the public in public archaeology projects. Scholars from both academic and non-academic professional positions contributed original papers discussing their recent experience and research in public archaeology along with an annotated, public archaeology-based bibliography referencing the theoretical and methodological ideas at the base of this research. Papers considered research in Brazil, South Africa, England, Israel, Jordan, the Navajo Nation, and the United States. Questions about the definition of communities, archaeological advocacy and activism, IN T R O D U C T IO N

The Navajo Nation, Diné Archaeologists, Diné Archaeology, and Diné Communities

There are several major considerations for the Navajo Nation that foreground questions of inclusion in public archaeology. The traditional Dine view of archaeological remains requires an evaluation of the public archaeologist’s notion of inclusion of Dine communities in archaeological research. Archaeological work on the Navajo Nation is also often a source of frustration for Dine communities because a shortage of human and monetary resources slows the pace of legislated archaeological compliance, in turn, slowing down vital housing and road infrastructural development. Finally, for Dine archaeologists, the structure of project development is not necessarily conducive to the creation of an intellectual foundation for Dine archaeology or community engagement in archaeological research.

From “Public Archaeologist” to “Public Intellectual”: Seeking Engagement Opportunities Outside Traditional Archaeological Arenas

Cornel West has said that the role of the intellectual is to try to turn easy answers into critical questions and then put those questions to people with power. To whom do public archaeologists address these questions? I am currently involved in an ongoing experiment to use typically nonarchaeological venues to engage with multiple publics about “history matters.” This includes participation in historical societies, commissions, and committees which may have stated aims to discuss, celebrate, and preserve history, but which frequently (sometimes unconsciously) perpetuate and reproduce traditional race/class inequities and power imbalances. My archaeological focus on inner-city African American neighborhoods in Houston, Texas, means that both my research and this larger project take place in settings where insensitive gentrification is impeding grassroots efforts to maintain and reclaim control of historical landscapes and narratives. This article will examine and critique this work, owning mistakes made and (usually small) victories achieved.

Mortimer Wheeler's Theatre of the Past

This paper examines the nature of Mortimer Wheeler's work as a public archaeologist, and in particular his efforts to display the archaeological process to interested members of the public. By focusing on the excavations at Maiden Castle, Dorset, from 1934 to 1937 we compare Wheeler's stated philosophy of public archaeology with his practice in the field. At Maiden Castle the theatre of excavation was the centrepiece of a carefully marketed archaeological experience including tours, souvenirs, and a well-developed media strategy. By applying the commodity model of public archaeology as an analytical framework we highlight the sophistication and success of Wheeler's 'theatre of the past'. This analysis lays a foundation for further critical historical studies of both the public understanding of the past, and of Wheeler's life and works.

When a Local Legend Is (Mis)Appropriated in the Interpretation of an Archaeological Site

Context permitting, should public archaeologists allow “archaeologically incorrect” accounts of the past? In this paper I discuss this question through a case study based on the experience of myself and my colleagues at the excavation of the Villa of Augustus in Somma Vesuviana, Italy. In 2003 and 2004, we became aware that some visitors to the excavation interpreted the site by reference to a legend of the tunnel of Queen Giovanna, which had existed in Somma Vesuviana over the centuries. Although initially interested in this phenomenon, we soon realised that we needed to make certain judgements as to how to respond to local people asking whether the tunnel had been discovered in the excavation. We presented two different ways of interpreting the site, one based on archaeology and the other on the legend, and both as equally meaningful, while at the same time stressing what we as archaeologists believed, based on what we had found. In this process we decided to adhere to the principles of archaeology, even in embracing the multivocality of material remains.

Power, Knowledge and the Politics of Public Pasts

This article examines the ways in which the disciplines of history and archaeology in South Africa relate and how they have negotiated the public as part of their disciplinary practices of producing knowledge about the past that is accessible. It presents an analysis of questions of knowledge and power, and the different ways that scholars working broadly as ‘historians’ or ‘archaeologists’ have viewed the relationship between expertise and ‘community’. It is also about how relations of expertise have been negotiated within and across these fields, and particularly how those relations of expertise have been contested. This is done through an analysis of the varied social history research and efforts at popularisation of the History Workshop at the University of the Witwatersrand, as well as the forms of public engagement on the part of public archaeologists in the District Six Museum and in Khoisan rock art research. The article also analyses the District Six Museum in Cape Town as a space of emerging expertise in the field of public history, whose practice and experience demonstrates the possibilities and limits of transcending relations of knowledge characterised by a politics of paternalism and atonement, in which public scholarship is limited to relations of outreach. The article is concerned to understand the possibilities of decentring and relocating expertise outside the academy.

Public archaeology and political dynamics in Portugal

The two hardest-fought rock art conservation battles in the history of the International Federation of Rock Art Organizations have been the campaigns to save the petroglyph sites in the lower Côa valley of northeastern Portugal and in the Guadiana valley in southeastern Portugal. They have become test cases of rock art conservation and site management issues. This paper summarizes the history of these campaigns and the effects they had on rock art management practices in Portugal. Specific attention is given to the responses of the public archaeologists in this controversy, and to some specific and generic aspects of the issue that are in a general sense relevant to the sociology of state-funded agencies charged with the protection of archaeological resources.

Public archaeology and political dynamics in Portugal

The two hardest-fought rock art conservation battles in the history of the International Federation of Rock Art Organizations have been the campaigns to save the petroglyph sites in the lower Côa valley of northeastern Portugal and in the Guadiana valley in southeastern Portugal. They have become test cases of rock art conservation and site management issues. This paper summarizes the history of these campaigns and the effects they had on rock art management practices in Portugal. Specific attention is given to the responses of the public archaeologists in this controversy, and to some specific and generic aspects of the issue that are in a general sense relevant to the sociology of state-funded agencies charged with the protection of archaeological resources.

Digital pharaoh: Archaeology, public education and interactive entertainment

Only recently have archaeologists begun to accept interactive digital media as a suitable medium for the delivery of archaeological information. Unfortunately, this new recognition has yet to include interactive digital entertainment. In general, archaeologists are ignorant of the effects that interactive entertainment has on the public's perception of archaeology and the human past. The purpose of this paper is to provide an introduction to archaeologically-oriented interactive entertainment. Emphasis will be placed on the impact that computer games have on the public's perception of archaeology, archaeologists and the human past. Ultimately, the paper encourages public archaeologists to become ‘change agents’ in the interactive entertainment industry to ensure the ethical and moral representation of the archaeological discipline as well as human culture, both past and present.

A Public Archaeologist in a Public Agency

A Public Archaeologist in a Public Agency

Historical Archaeology of the Chesapeake, edited by Paul A. Shackel and Barbara J. Little. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington. 1994

This volume is a good attempt at presenting an overview of the land-based historical archaeology that has been on-going in the Chesapeake region over the last fifteen years. It brings together articles by academic. CRM. and public sector archaeologists. and includes work by both well established and promising young researchers focused on the Chesapeake region. The volume is organized into four thematic and chronologi­cal sections, covering time periods from the earliest European settlement of the region to the nineteneth century.