Public Archaeology
Overview
Archaeologists’ responsibilities to the public, reasons for the
neglect of these responsibilities, and examples of successful outreach
programs form the core of this module.
Lesson Objectives/Reading Journal Topics
By the end of the lesson, students should be able to:
- Discuss the responsibilities that archaeologists have to the public
and the consequences of neglect of those responsibilities.
- Describe the benefits of integrating public education into archaeological
research.
Matrix Principles
Ethics and Values (the importance of outreach to foster Stewardship),
Diverse Interests (outreach to descendant groups, outreach in a multicultural
urban setting), and Social Relevance (environmental consciousness raising
through archaeological research).
Instructional Procedures
Class 1
Readings
Fagan, Brian
1998 Perhaps
We May Hear Voices. Common Ground 3(1).
AND READ ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
Marquadt, William H.
1994 The Role of Archaeology in Raising Environmental Consciousness:
An Example from Southwest Florida. In Historical Ecology, edited
by Carole L. Crumley, pp. 203-221. SAR Press, Santa Fe.
Nicholas, George P.
1997 Education and Empowerment: Archaeology with, for, and by the Shuswap
Nation. In At the Crossroads: Archaeology and First Peoples in Canada,
edited by George P. Nicholas and Thomas D. Andrews, pp. 85-104. Publication
No. 24. Archaeology Press, Department of Archaeology, Simon Fraser University,
Burnaby, B.C.
Smardz, Karolyn E.
1997 The Past Through Tomorrow: Interpreting Toronto's Heritage to a
Multicultural Public. In Presenting Archaeology to the Public: Digging
for Truths, edited by John H. Jameson, pp. 101-113. AltaMira Press,
Walnut Creek, California.
Format: Discussion
We open by considering archaeologists’ responsibilities to the
public (as interpreters of the past, managers of heritage resources,
and consumers of public funds), as well as the reasons for neglect of
these responsibilities (e.g., the "publish or perish" culture
that discourages public outreach). We then evaluate several case studies
of successful outreach programs. To do this, students are divided into
groups (based on the article read) to address the following:
- Describe the archaeology program in each of the articles (be specific
about their activities).
- How was the public involved?
- Who funded the programs and employed the archaeologists?
- What were the problems and what were the benefits?
We regroup to discuss their answers and to think of other ways that archaeology
can be made more accessible and accountable to the public.