Role Of Archaeology Research Articles

Truth and Reconciliation: Transforming Public Archaeology with African Descendant Voices in the Dutch Caribbean

This article outlines aspects of how to present a more effective public understanding of slavery heritage and race relations. Using case studies on the island of St. Maarten in the Dutch Caribbean, I examine the role of archaeology in understanding African heritage historical contexts and social and race relations of the twentieth century. This article then considers a transformed approach for reconciliation in public archaeology undertaken through engagement with African descendants’ voices in communities on St. Maarten and in the broader Caribbean region.

MR ultrashort echo time sequence of cremated remains in ancient urns

Paleoradiology plays an important role in archeology since its first implementation soon after discovery of X-rays. Computed tomography (CT) as a paleoradiological tool in studies of ancient cremation urns is described only in few articles. Clinical magnetic resonance (MR) has never been used in studying ancient cremation remains. We report the use of ultrashort echo time (UTE) MR sequence to three cremation urns from the Bronze age from Croatia. MR overcame the problem of the similar densities between soil and bones on the CT and clearly showed superior contrast resolution.

Data from Archaeology for the People? Greek Archaeology and its Public: An Analysis of the Socio-Political and Economic Role of Archaeology in Greece

The interview transcripts and survey data in this dataset originate from an investigation of the role of archaeology in local communities in Greece today. The communities of Krenides (Kavala), Dispilio (Kastoria) and Delphi (Phokida) were used as case studies. Members of these communities, local archaeologists and archaeologists of the central services of the Ministry of Culture were interviewed while the local populations were surveyed using structured questionnaires. The data is stored in textual and tabular formats and it is likely to be of use to anyone who is interested in public archaeology, heritage management or socio-anthropological and sociological research regarding perceptions about the past, archaeology and heritage.

Review: Osman Hamdi Bey and the Americans: Archaeology, Diplomacy, Art; Scramble for the Past: A Story of Archaeology in the Ottoman Empire, 1753–1914; and Artamonoff: Picturing Byzantine Istanbul, 1930–1947

Osman Hamdi Bey and the Americans: Archaeology, Diplomacy, Art Pera Museum, Istanbul 15 October 2011–8 January 2012 Scramble for the Past: A Story of Archaeology in the Ottoman Empire, 1753–1914 SALT Galata, Istanbul 22 November 2011–11 March 2012 Artamonoff: Picturing Byzantine Istanbul, 1930–1947 Koc University Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations, Istanbul 25 June–10 November 2013 Three exhibitions that examine ways of looking at the ancient and Byzantine past from the eighteenth to the early twentieth century were recently on display in Istanbul. These exhibitions reevaluated the changing discourses and practices of archaeology as both a scholarly enterprise and a popular endeavor, particularly in relation to the late Ottoman and early Turkish contexts. They explored how contemporaries looked at, understood, and wrote about the culture, art, and architecture of the past from their various and varying perspectives. The exhibition Scramble for the Past: A Story of Archaeology in the Ottoman Empire, 1753–1914 at SALT Galata was curated by Zainab Bahrani, Zeynep Celik, and Edhem Eldem (Figure 1). It revolved around a double narrative of an apparently conventional historical account of the birth and development of “modern archaeology” from the founding of the British Museum in 1753 to the establishment of the Ottoman Pious Foundations Museum in 1914 alongside a contested story about some historically renowned archaeological sites that once dotted the former Ottoman lands. As its provocative title Scramble for the Past suggests, rather than presenting a celebratory narrative of archaeological practice, the exhibition put forward a critical interpretation of the history of archaeology. The seemingly neutral time line, highlighting the major dates in the long march of archaeology alongside significant historical political events, constituted a backdrop on the walls and literally encircled the main body of display, which focused on certain archaeological sites within the framework of eight different themes. True to the exploratory and interdisciplinary cultural mission of SALT, the sites were presented through their various historical representations in different media from written texts to oil paintings, from drawings to photographs and films, together with some original artifacts, among which were also dispersed commissioned installations on the nature of archaeology by artists Mark Dion …

A Regional Perspective on Government, Archaeology, and Economic Development: The Americas

This paper considers archaeology, economic development, and government through a critical approach. It discusses the role of democracy, the rule of law, and the relationship between economic development and public policies aimed at improving the lives of ordinary people. It is argued that diminishing social inequalities are a shared concern and public policies are set up by democratic states to cope with this goal. The paper then turns to archaeology as a practice resulting from economic development and public policies. For the first century and a half, the discipline has been scholarly, elitist, and often colonialist. More recently, archaeology has been increasingly considered as a socially relevant endeavour in the Americas. Economic development, democracy, and the rule of law have been related in the last few decades. The paper concludes by stressing the role of public archaeology for a progressive role for archaeology in economic development in the future.

Can archaeologists intervene in public debate on urgent questions of a social, cultural or political nature? A reflection on the Israeli–Palestinian Archaeology Working Group (IPAWG)

AbstractThe archaeologist's role in public life is not limited to only understanding, reflecting and informing on the past, but also should reveal who we are at present and help society in manoeuvring into the future. We are a major part of the public intellectuals who should intervene in public debate, not only in the media but also as a part of the decision-making process. We can contribute to making a difference in many aspects of human life, intellectually, socially, culturally and politically. This paper will aim to shed light on my involvement in the Israeli–Palestinian Archaeology Working Group (IPAWG). I will focus on how a small group of archaeologists has contributed positively to one of the most complicated political conflicts in modern history. I will also address an example from Al-Jib to indicate the role of archaeologists as scientists, citizens and public figures.

Exerting influence? Responsibility and the public role of archaeology in divided societies

AbstractCan, or should, archaeologists adopt the mantle of the public intellectual and bring archaeology to bear on contemporary issues within divided societies? The line between the archaeologist and the citizen is never clear-cut. How do we balance the recognition that our knowledge and expertise allow us to exert influence with the necessity to act as responsible members of our own societies? I define a public intellectual as one who is not afraid to step outside professional circles and comfort zones and to engage, challenge and comment on issues of broad relevance in the present. Employing Northern Ireland as a case study, I argue that archaeologists have a responsibility to provide leadership and commentary regarding the fraught relationship between past and present.

Towards Sustainable Community Heritage Management and the Role of Archaeology: A Case Study from Western Australia

This paper explores the challenges and positive outcomes of collaborative heritage management programs that maintain a focus on customary protocols and community priorities. A holistic approach to cultural heritage management has developed over time in the Esperance region of Western Australia, which situates the local Traditional Owner community at the center of heritage management. The established structure fosters a community-based approach to project development and implementation and has led to the successful completion of a number of large-scale conservation and management projects within a wide-ranging research and community development program. In establishing this structure, the program provides a mechanism for engagement and collaboration with a range of external academic and government programs, while maintaining control in how these external parties operate and with an emphasis on dissolving mainstream power relations. We examine the successes and ongoing challenges in a critical reflection of this program and its implications for the broader field of community-based cultural heritage management. The paper reviews the program with specific reference to the role of archaeology, including the demand by communities and Traditional Owners for participatory, community-oriented archaeologists.

Heritage Tourism, Identity and Development in Peru

In this paper the linkages between archaeology, identity, and tourism in Peru are discussed in the context of economic and social development. The role of archaeologists in the heritage process (patrimonializacion) is shown to transcend the production of narratives and destinations pivotal to the touristic experience. Engagements beyond the material remains of the pre-Colonial past have been hampered by the complex role of the indigenous in the national mythology, as much as by the perceived mandate of the discipline. Promise and pitfalls of ethical practices leading to locally grounded strategies are explored in two case studies.

Section News

Abstract:SOCIETY FOR THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF FOOD AND NUTRITION | Meredith Gartin, ed. “Gardens Feed and Fuel Grassroot Organization: The Greening of Detroit” by Benjamin McShane‐JewellARCHEOLOGY DIVISION | Kostalena Michelaki, ed. “Growing Beyond Leviathan: What Role for Archaeology?” by Christopher WitmoreSOCIETY FOR LINGUISTIC ANTHROPOLOGY | Aaron Ansell and Bonnie Urciuoli, eds. “Imagining a Deaf Utopia” by Abigail J RosenthalASSOCIATION FOR POLITICAL AND LEGAL ANTHROPOLOGY | Leo Coleman and Allison Fish, eds. “PoLAR will have a 2012 Impact Factor” by Oona SchmidSOCIETY FOR LATIN AMERICAN AND CARIBBEAN ANTHROPOLOGY | Ronda L Brulotte, ed. “Immigration Reform and Immigrants” by Jeffrey H CohenSOCIETY FOR ECONOMIC ANTHROPOLOGY | Rahul Oka, ed. “Society for Economic Anthropology Joins AAA” by Rahul OkaSOCIETY FOR THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF EUROPE | Tracey A Rosen, ed. “Anthropology of Europe, Anthropology on Campus” by Jonathan L LarsonASSOCIATION OF LATINA AND LATINO ANTHROPOLOGISTS | Alex Chavez and Santiago Ivan Guerra, eds. “Why We Still Need the DREAM Act and More” by Mariela Nuñez‐JanesEVOLUTIONARY ANTHROPOLOGY SOCIETY | Adam Howell Boyette, ed. “EAS and Interdisciplinary Collaborations: The Culture and the Mind Project” by Adam Howell BoyetteANTHROPOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENT SOCIETY | Amelia Moore, ed. “Understanding Ecological and Social Resilience in Island Systems” by Jennifer Newell and Felicity ArengoASSOCIATION OF BLACK ANTHROPOLOGISTS | karen g williams, ed. “Thoughts on Receiving the John L Gwaltney Native Anthropology Scholarship” by Melanie Angel MedeirosSOCIETY FOR ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES | David Henig, ed. “Society for Anthropological Sciences on Facebook”SOCIETY FOR ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES | David Henig, ed. “Congratulations on the Book Cultures of Migration”ASSOCIATION FOR FEMINIST ANTHROPOLOGY | Damla Isik and Jessica Smith Rolston, eds. “The Sexed and Gendered Body: Comments on the Bioarchaeology of Sex and Gender” by John J Crandall and Molly K ZuckermanNATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE PRACTICE OF ANTHROPOLOGY | Lisa Henry and Jo Aiken, eds. “SfAA Annual Meeting Highlights Opportunities for the Practice of Anthropology in the 21st Century: NAPA members reflect on the 2012 SfAA Annual Meeting” by Jo AikenMIDDLE EAST SECTION | Rehenuma Asmi, ed. “MES Awards and Statement on Gaza”ASSOCIATION FOR FEMINIST ANTHROPOLOGY | Damla Isik and Jessica Smith Rolston, eds. “AFA Dissertation Award Deadline is April 15”SOCIETY FOR ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES | David Henig, ed. “Best Student Paper in Cognitive Science”BIOLOGICAL ANTHROPOLOGY SECTION | Julienne Rutherford, ed. “Introducing BAS Editor Julienne Rutherford”SOCIETY FOR ANTHROPOLOGICAL SCIENCES | David Henig, ed. “Online Courses on Research Methods”SOCIETY FOR THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF RELIGION | Jennifer Selby, ed. “Clifford Geertz Prize Words of Acceptance” by Julie Y ChuNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT ANTHROPOLOGISTS | Keri A Canada, ed. “Representation and Witnessing: In response to Brian McKenna's “Medical Education Under Siege” and “The Clash of Medical Civilizations”” by Ashish PremkumarSOCIETY FOR THE ANTHROPOLOGY OF WORK | Susanna Donaldson, ed. “SAW Awards 2012 Book Prize” by Jim Weil

Additional Thoughts on Sustaining and Promoting Open Data in Archaeology

We are grateful to the respondents for their thoughtful contributions to this forum. Many of their comments focus on the issue of the profitability of open access/open data models for publication (see Pratt, Alexander, and Hall). Our own livelihood depends on sustainability, so we are naturally concerned about this issue. In our work with Open Context, we have benefited from public and private granting agencies for funding, libraries for data management services, and contracts for helping to build similar systems in other domains. This mix of funding will no doubt change as time goes on and we adapt to new circumstances. Digital Antiquity and the Archaeology Data Service, both large disciplinary repositories, by necessity have greater infrastructure and other costs, and will need other business models. Similarly, university-based repositories, such as the California Digital Library, rely on other institutional funding streams. We think this diversity of business models and organizational forms is healthy. Some solutions will fail, but some will succeed. Since open data encourages the free flow of information, it represents an important strategy of resiliency. If Open Context fails, its data, archived in the California Digital Library and other repositories, will be available for scholars and open for incorporation in future information systems. Policy needs to promote the health of the overall information ecosystem that sustains research so experimentation and turnover can happen without loss of irreplaceable research content.We are encouraged that the respondents all agree that open data needs to play a greater role in archaeology. For the time being, we face the great challenge of bridging two realities—moving from currently entrenched practices to a future of more open and diverse scholarly outputs. The growth of new, data-intensive research methods will lead to increased pressure for open access and open data. Hall rightly highlighted how data (and text) mining are only feasible with open access. Though not addressed in this venue, Kansa (2012) further explores open access with respect to text-mining in archaeology.Today's young scholars may be more accustomed to sharing many aspects of their lives via the Web. Young scholars also largely expect fully digital workflows in their research. However, habituation with Facebook and Excel does not necessarily lead to greater data professionalism and openness. Academia's highly competitive job market makes any deviation from established patterns of success extremely risky, replicating cultural norms that work against openness. Porter's comments about “data as symbolic capital” can give needed conceptual tools to explore data's role in scholarly culture. He rightly highlights data's roles in building prestige and recognition. Currently, data may not routinely be publicly shared, but it does circulate privately among networks of researchers to reinforce collaborative ties and alliances. Better understanding of data as symbolic capital is needed to encourage researchers to move such data exchanges toward public channels, where we can better document provenance, improve quality, and preserve data with professionally managed repositories.Instead of reinforcing a dysfunctional status quo, established leaders in the field can be drivers of reform. Such individuals have the job security to take risks and innovate (supposedly the purpose of tenure!). They can use their prestige to make open access and open data respectable and respected. A hopeful sign of progress, Digital Antiquity boasts a board that includes past and current presidents of the Society for American Archaeology. However, we don't want to set the bar too low. We need to do more than simply add data archiving to existing and highly constrained publishing practices. To fully realize the value of archaeological scholarship, we need innovation in what constitutes publication, innovation in new ways of promoting quality, and innovations that better promote accessibility and interoperability of archaeology on the open Web.

Recent studies in Australian palaeoecology and zooarchaeology: a volume in honour of the late Su Solomon

The collection of papers presented in this issue of Environmental Archaeology arose from the sessions ‘Australian Studies in Taphonomy and Archaeofaunas: A Session in Honour of the Late Su Solomon’ at the 2008 annual Australian Archaeological Association Conference held at Noosa, Queensland, 3 to 6 December; and ‘Palaeoecology and its Role in Archaeology: Current Research and Future Directions’ at the 2009 annual Australian Archaeological Association Conference, at Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, 10 to 13 December. The theme for the 2009 conference was ‘Old Guard, New Guard’, where participants were asked to consider the major directions for archaeology as we move into the new millennium. For this reason our session wanted to canvass the current research by Australians that integrated palaeoecological and archaeological approaches. The session drew case studies from within Australia and from a number of overseas study sites. A selection of these presentations and those from the 2008 session are brought together here. It is an apparent eclectic selection of papers, yet they all use palaeoecological approaches to enhance our understanding of the archaeological record, and provide a snapshot of the range of research endeavour’s being pursued by Australian-based investigators. Australian archaeology is a relatively young disci

Arqueologia de la Memòria: els refugis antiaeris a la ciutat de València

The Spanish Civil War has left many testimonies: written sources, materials remains and, for the moment, while the witnesses still live, even oral reports. However, the value given to these sources varies depending on factors that often have little to do with scientific precision and much to do with political considerations. In line with the current debate about historic memory and the role of archaeology and heritage management in its construction, we deem it necessary that archaeologists, as well as historians, ask to take part. The aim of this paper is to analyze air-raid shelters that still exist in the city of Valencia to reclaim their heritage value and their importance in preserving memory. These buildings were the key to the passive defense of the city and, therefore, are indispensable to understanding the reality of the bombing against the civilian population and the intensity of the war in the rear.

The role of Archaeology in Indigenous History: some considerations

O estudo da trajetória histórica dos povos indígenas no Brasil se desenvolve a passos apressados. O interesse pelo passado dessas sociedades, hoje, não é dissociável da percepção de que eles serão parte de nosso futuro. Diante desses fatos e com o objetivo de melhor compreendermos essa trajetória, propomos a utilização, pela História Indígena, de uma abordagem interdisciplinar, na qual a Arqueologia possui um papel fundamental

Exploring Solutions Past: The Role of Archaeology in Shaping Conservation Strategies of the FutureThe Archaeology of Environmental Change: Socionatural Legacies of Degradation and Resilience. Christopher T. Fisher, J. Brett Hill, and Gary M. Feinman, eds. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2009.

Exploring Solutions Past: The Role of Archaeology in Shaping Conservation Strategies of the Future<i>The Archaeology of Environmental Change: Socionatural Legacies of Degradation and Resilience</i>. Christopher T. Fisher, J. Brett Hill, and Gary M. Feinman, eds. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2009.

Archaeology, local history and community in French Polynesia

In French Polynesia traditional ceremonial stone structures known as marae are a focus of communities reviving Polynesian culture. In the context of this changing social and political environment this paper explores the role of archaeology in a local community project developing a World Heritage nomination for the largest and best-known of these sites, Marae Taputapuatea. Although not germane to the project, the community is increasingly interested in the potential of archaeological research to provide information about the social landscape of the marae and to assist them in re-establishing connections with their traditional places.

Inclusion in an Archaeological Project: Trouvadore Project. A Case Study

Is it the role of archaeologists to lead on community involvement? In 2000 the Trouvadore Project was launched as a partnership. The archaeologists of Ships of Discovery were to search for the shipwreck, film makers Windward Media were to document the project and the Turks and Caicos National Museum was to research the wrecking and the legacy of the survivors. With its developing outreach programmes it was natural for the museum to take on the responsibility of informing and involving the community in the project. This is the story of community inclusion in the search for the slave ship Troubadour.

Science and Public Debate: A Role for Archaeology in Today's News Media

Anthropology NewsVolume 51, Issue 4 p. 12-13 Science and Public Debate: A Role for Archaeology in Today's News Media Gary Feinman, Gary Feinman (gfeinman@fieldmuseum.org) is curator of Mesoamerican anthropology at the Field Museum in Chicago. He has directed long-term archaeological field projects in Oaxaca, Mexico, and Shandong China. His research interests include comparative studies of leadership, cooperation and inequality, preindustrial economics, and the recursive relations between humans and environments over time.Search for more papers by this author Gary Feinman, Gary Feinman (gfeinman@fieldmuseum.org) is curator of Mesoamerican anthropology at the Field Museum in Chicago. He has directed long-term archaeological field projects in Oaxaca, Mexico, and Shandong China. His research interests include comparative studies of leadership, cooperation and inequality, preindustrial economics, and the recursive relations between humans and environments over time.Search for more papers by this author First published: 05 April 2010 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1556-3502.2010.51412.xCitations: 1AboutPDF ToolsExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article.Citing Literature Volume51, Issue4April 2010Pages 12-13 RelatedInformation

Waves of peoples and bringers of culture

Questions as to the origins of different historical peoples and their movements through time and space have always played a vital role in archaeology. Especially late 19th and early 20th centuries archaeologists tried to identify the routes of migration of certain peoples in order to establish ethno-historical cartographies of entire regions. Regardless the historical context to be dealt with, these accounts oft en share some remarkable similarities in representing and narrating migrations. Using the example of German ancient Near Eastern archaeology at the turn of the 20th century the article examines central migration narratives against the background of their political and cultural contexts. The two most important questions of the archaeological debate on migrations in the ancient Near East were the supposed origin and migrations of the ›Semitic peoples‹ and the ethno-historical cartography of ancient Asia Minor. The archaeological accounts show repetitive role patterns which can be identified in different historiographical contexts of the time. Furthermore, striking parallels between the archaeological discourse on migrations in the ancient Near East and theories about the supposed origins of the Jews clearly demonstrate the importance of the contemporary debate on the rising anti-Semitism in this context.

Texts, Contexts, Subtexts and Interpretative Frameworks: Beyond the Parochial and Toward (Dynamic) Modeling of the Ptolemaic State and the Ptolemaic Economy

My concern in this paper is the historical interpretation of the Greek and demotic documentary papyri of the Ptolemaic period, the role of Archaeology in the context of Ptolemaic economic history, and the application of social science theory towards an understanding of Ptolemaic Egypt.