Additional Information

Available Through

Taylor & Francis Online

Language

English

Notes

Abstract: It is no longer possible to ignore the unprecedented levels of destruction resulting from development projects imposed by multinational corporations and governments. In this context, it is important to address the role archaeology and related professions, such as heritage management, play from the perspective both of the threat to physical heritage and our relationship with affected communities. This paper explores ways in which professionals can learn to work in a mutually accountable way with communities opposing destructive development, and together seek alternatives to development which threatens lives, livelihoods, culture, and environment. Case studies from the Boyne Valley and Tara in Ireland, Ilisu dam in Turkey and the Oaxaca valley in Mexico, illustrate some of the issues. The implications of the growing privatization of professions, particularly for communities in the Third World whose poverty undermines their power to refuse even the most globally devastating developments, making it imperative that professionals look again at what we aim to accomplish and how much we are actually accomplishing it. As professionals we cannot afford to be ignorant of what communities want, need and are entitled to in order to develop and flourish. Archaeology and people's cultural roots are not separable from these questions.

Additional tags: local communities; ethical engagement; development; destruction of cultural resources; threats to livelihoods; case studies in Ireland, Turkey, and Mexico

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
• Integrity of Research Methodology
• Procedures for Field Survey or Excavation

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

Keywords & Terms

• Accountability
• Conservation
• Consultation/Partnership with Affected Groups
• Consultation/Partnership with Indigenous Peoples
• Culturally Significant and/or Sacred Sites, Objects, and Places
• Do No Harm
• Employer/Client Relationships
• Environmental Impact and Issues
• Impact on Communities - Local, Descendant, etc.
• Integrity of Research Methodology and Field Procedures
• Management of Cultural Resources, Heritage, History
• Preservation of Archaeological Resources
• Professional Qualification
• Professional Standards
• Promotion of Archaeological Research/Archaeology as Scientific Discipline
• Protection and Non-Disclosure of Archaeological Sites
• Public Interest, Collaboration, Education, and Outreach
• Respect for and Responsibility to Affected Groups
• Standards of Data Collection, Recordation, Analysis
• Stewardship

Topics & Issues

• Archaeological Advocacy and Activism
• Collaboration in Archaeology (i.e. Communities, Non-Archaeologists, etc.)
• Cultural Resource Management (CRM)
• Descendant, Resident, and Stakeholder Communities
• Destruction of Cultural Heritage
• Development vs. Conservation
• Environmental Issues, Impacts, and Regulations
• Heritage Management
• Landscape Issues, Archaeology, and Ethics
• Public Engagement, Outreach, and Education