Additional Information

Course Number

AR 480/780

Course Level

Course Description

The past is up for grabs as never before. The contenders are many: collectors, museums countries, native cultures, religious groups. These new stakeholders are an uneasy fit with the past’s traditional, scholarly caretakers – archaeologists, curators, and historians. How should peoples’ competing interests and claims be assessed and adjudicated? In this course we grapple with this new landscape. We will study a series of specific situations, consider them from both ethical and legal points of view, and seek to extract larger principles. Along the way we will dissect and discuss philosophical theories, ethical codes, and national and international laws relevant to cultural property. Ultimately we are unlikely to agree with one another or perhaps even persuade ourselves of what is right or best, but we should end the semester with a real-world understanding of the parameters and complexity of the issue.

Syllabus Available

Yes

Notes

The course requirements and weekly syllabus are available as separate PDF files at the URL provided, as well as additional readings and resources.

Additional tags: ethical codes; ethical case studies

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

Keywords & Terms

• Accountability
• Anti-Commercialization
• Conservation
• Consultation/Partnership with Affected Groups
• 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 Relationships and Communication
• Professional Standards
• Public Interest, Collaboration, Education, and Outreach
• Respect for and Responsibility to Affected Groups
• Stewardship
• Storage of Data, Specimens, and Records
• Transparency
• UNESCO

Topics & Issues

• Archaeological Societies and Codes of Ethics
• Descendant, Resident, and Stakeholder Communities
• Ethical Case Studies
• Ethical Dilemmas
• Ethical Responsibilities of Archaeologists
• Ethics of Collecting
• Interpreting the Past
• Legal Issues
• Legislation and Archaeological Preservation
• Religion