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Type of Source

Blog Post

Blog Tagline

ARCHAEOLOGY — BIOARCHAEOLOGY — SCHOOL — THE GOOD, BAD, AND THE UGLY ABOUT LIFE IN THE TRENCHES AND LIFE AS A STUDENT

Notes

Recently I had the wonderful opportunity to be a guest on the Women in Archaeology podcast. Emily, Kirsten, Serra, and I had a lot of fun discussing one of my favourite topics – pseudoarchaeology! As a brief recap, or in case you’re new to my blog: I’ve been interested in pseudoarchaeology for a while and have recently decided to start pursuing more of it. And by pursuing I’m referring to discussions breaking down pseudoarchaeological theories and discussing their harmful nature. I’ve written a few pieces so far, which you can find here, here, and here.

One of the topics we discussed quite a bit was archaeological communication. When it comes to pseudoarchaeology, archaeologists need to be at least willing to try to speak out against it when we see it. When archaeologists are unwilling to do so they’re simply adding fuel to the fire. To be clear, I’m referring here to those who are actively refusing to condemn misappropriation of archaeology. For example, in a recent interview regarding the ignorance behind CBC’s Solutrean Hypothesis documentary, archaeologist Dennis Bradley (one of the theory’s proponents) stated that the racist appropriation of the theory was “not my issue” and that “We can’t stop doing science because somebody might misappropriate something.” In other words, Bradley knows full well that his words are being used in harmful, racist narratives but his refusal to engage with (speak against) that in part allows this theory to continue its destructive path.

Taxonomies

RPA Codes & Standards

• Appropriate Dissemination of Research
• Archaeologist's Responsibility to Colleagues, Employees, and Students
• Archaeologist's Responsibility to the Public
• Integrity of Research Methodology

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

• Adequate and Responsible Reporting, Publication, and Dissemination
• Avoid, Discourage, and Report Unethical and Illegal Activity
• Dishonesty, Exaggeration, Fraud, Deceit, and/or Misrepresentation
• Professional Standards
• Promotion of Archaeological Research/Archaeology as Scientific Discipline

Topics & Issues

• Archaeological Education
• Ethical Responsibilities of Archaeologists
• Interpreting the Past
• Professionalism and Professional Standards
• Pseudoarchaeology and Pseudoscience