Additional Information

Course Number

ARCH 2010G

Course Level

Course Description

This seminar is intended to introduce graduate students to some of the central ethical, legal, and professional issues that they will very probably face in the course of their own doctoral research and subsequent careers in archaeology (or in closely cognate fields, or in museums). Some of these issues are governed by legislation, international conventions, or professional codes of practice; as archaeologists-in-the-making, you need to have a good familiarity with these, both in your home country and in other parts of the world in which you may work. Many other situations, however, fall less clearly within the purview of such regulations, and pose ethical dilemmas, often with no very clear-cut solution. Many archaeological and museum associations have developed sets of ethical guidelines (generally only within the past 30 years, or so) to provide guidance to their members. These are often framed in terms of principles of stewardship or of responsibilities — to the archaeological record itself, to the public, and to colleagues — recognizing that archaeologists are not the only stakeholders with interests in the past, a concept best enshrined by the simple question "Who owns the past?" [Selection from course description in syllabus, which is available for download as a Word Doc at the URL provided. Please see the syllabus for complete course description.]

Syllabus Available

Yes

Notes

Syllabus and bibliography are available to download on Brown University's Canvas page for the course.

Taxonomies

RPA Codes & Standards

• Archaeologist's Responsibility to Colleagues, Employees, and Students
• Archaeologist's Responsibility to Employers and Clients
• Archaeologist's Responsibility to the Public

CIfA Codes

• Principle 1: Adherence to ethical and responsible behaviour in archaeological affairs
• 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

• Accountability
• Adequate and Responsible Reporting, Publication, and Dissemination
• Burials and Human Remains
• Conservation
• Consultation/Partnership with Affected Groups
• Consultation/Partnership with Indigenous Peoples
• Employer/Client Relationships
• Impact on Communities - Local, Descendant, etc.
• Indigenous, Tribal, Aboriginal Rights
• Integrity of Research Methodology and Field Procedures
• International Law
• Local, State, Federal, and Tribal Laws
• Looting, Collecting, and Illicit Trade of Cultural Property
• Management of Cultural Resources, Heritage, History
• Museum, Collection, Curation and Display Standards
• Ownership
• Preservation of Archaeological Resources
• Professional Qualification
• Professional Relationships and Communication
• Professional Standards
• Public Interest, Collaboration, Education, and Outreach
• Repatriation
• Respect for and Responsibility to Affected Groups
• Standards of Data Collection, Recordation, Analysis
• Standards of Training and Student/Teacher Responsibilities
• UNESCO

Topics & Issues

• Archaeological Societies and Codes of Ethics
• Descendant, Resident, and Stakeholder Communities
• Ethical Dilemmas
• Ethical Responsibilities of Archaeologists
• Legal Issues
• Legislation and Archaeological Preservation
• Museum and Display Ethics
• Professionalism and Professional Standards