Additional Information

Course Number

ANTH508

Course Description

Archaeological sites and landscapes have long been considered places of historical and cultural significance and symbols of national and ethnic identity. More recently they have offered new opportunities for economic and touristic development in both urban and rural settings. With a unique set of physical conditions including fragmentation, illegibility, extreme environmental exposure and material deterioration, as well as contested ownership and control, their conservation, management, and interpretation as heritage places require special knowledge and methodologies for both heritage specialists and archaeologists. This seminar will address the history, theories, principles, and practices of the preservation and interpretation of archaeological sites and landscapes. The course will draw from a wide range of published material and experiences representing both national and international contexts. Topics will include site and landscape documentation and recording; site formation and degradation; intervention strategies including interpretation and display, legislation, policy, and contemporary issues of descendent community ownership and global heritage. The course will be organized as a seminar incorporating readings, lectures and discussions on major themes defining the subject of ruins and archaeological site conservation. Readings have been selected to provide exposure to seminal works in the development of theory and method as well as current expressions of contemporary practice. This will set the background for the selected case study site which will provide students the opportunity to work with primary and secondary materials related to archaeological and ruin sites: excavation reports, stabilization work, conservation and interpretation plans, etc. Students will study specific issues leading toward the critique or development of a conservation and management program in accordance with guidelines established by UNESCO/ICOMOS/ICAHM and other organizations. This year the course site will be FORT UNION NATIONAL MONUMENT, NM.

Syllabus Available

No

Notes

One-term course offered either term

Also Offered As: HSPV 747

Activity: Seminar

1.0 Course Unit

Notes: For advanced undergraduates and graduate students

Taxonomies

RPA Codes & Standards

• Appropriate Dissemination of Research
• Integrity of Research Methodology
• Maintaining Continuity of Records
• Procedures for Field Survey or Excavation
• Specimen and Research Record Storage

CIfA Codes

• Principle 1: Adherence to ethical and responsible behaviour in archaeological affairs
• Principle 2: Responsibility for the conservation of the historic environment
• Principle 3: Responsibility for acquiring and recording reliable information of the past in archaeological research
• Principle 4: Responsibility for the availability of archaeological results within reasonable dispatch

Keywords & Terms

• Conservation
• Do No Harm
• Environmental Impact and Issues
• Looting, Collecting, and Illicit Trade of Cultural Property
• Management of Cultural Resources, Heritage, History
• Preservation of Archaeological Resources
• Professional Relationships and Communication
• Standards of Data Collection, Recordation, Analysis
• Stewardship
• Storage of Data, Specimens, and Records

Topics & Issues

• Archaeological Advocacy and Activism
• Conservation and Ethics
• Destruction of Cultural Heritage
• Development vs. Conservation
• Environmental Issues, Impacts, and Regulations
• Ethical Case Studies
• Ethical Dilemmas
• Ethical Responsibilities of Archaeologists
• Heritage and Archaeological Tourism
• Heritage Management
• Historic/Cultural Resource/Site Preservation
• Landscape Issues, Archaeology, and Ethics