Additional Information

Course Number

ANTH 433

Course Level

Course Description

This course explores the ethical, legal, and practical dimensions of modern archaeology through a consideration of the following topics: archaeology as a profession; archaeological ethics; the relationship between archaeology and others (the public, ethnic groups, avocationals, collectors, etc.); international and national approaches to archaeological heritage management; the antiquities market; maritime law, underwater archaeology, and treasure hunting; cultural resource management in the United States; and archaeological outreach and education. Students are introduced to a variety of legal and ethical issues in archaeology that span local to international scales. Through lecture, discussion, and readings, students will consider the archeology and ethics of ownership and stewardship, including issues centered on intellectual property rights, representation, repatriation, and reburial of cultural properties. They will be able to identify the various stakeholders in contemporary archaeology, and assess their values and interests in issues such as the treatment, ownership, and disposition of human remains, heritage sites, submerged cultural resources, and antiquities. They will consider growing problems with illicit collecting and excavation, illegal trade, and global concerns centered on the international trafficking of antiquities, and will be variously exposed to relevant national and international legislation involving cultural patrimony and management of antiquities, including international treaties such as the 1970 UNESCO Convention on Cultural Property, and related pieces of US federal legislation. The 1990 Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA) and the Archaeological and Historic Preservation Act (ARPA) of 1974 figure prominently in the course. In general, upon completion of the course students will come to have a stronger appreciation of archaeological ethics and “archaeopolitics”; they will have a good understanding of the U.S. Secretary of the Interior’s standards (36CFR61) for professional archaeologists and will be able to assess and evaluate contemporary issues of archaeological ethics and law in the context of modern practice.

Syllabus Available

No

Notes

Course description is available on Penn State's university bulletin snd was last updated August, 2016 (new course descriptions can be found in their current bulletin on LionPATH). Please contact department for further information.

Additional tags: archaeological heritage management; stakeholders; NAGPRA; Historic Preservation Act; archaeopolitics

Taxonomies

RPA Codes & Standards

• Adequate Preparation for Research Projects
• 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 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

• Academic Integrity and/or Plagiarism
• Accountability
• Anti-Commercialization
• Avoid, Discourage, and Report Unethical and Illegal Activity
• Burials and Human Remains
• Consultation/Partnership with Affected Groups
• Consultation/Partnership with Indigenous Peoples
• Culturally Significant and/or Sacred Sites, Objects, and Places
• Equity and Representation; Discrimination and Harassment
• Impact on Communities - Local, Descendant, etc.
• Intellectual Property
• International Law
• Local, State, Federal, and Tribal Laws
• Looting, Collecting, and Illicit Trade of Cultural Property
• Management of Cultural Resources, Heritage, History
• Ownership
• 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
• Stewardship
• UNESCO

Topics & Issues

• Amateur and Advocational Archaeology
• Antiquities Trade
• Archaeological Education
• Cultural Resource Management (CRM)
• Descendant, Resident, and Stakeholder Communities
• Ethical Case Studies
• Ethical Responsibilities of Archaeologists
• Heritage Management
• Historic/Cultural Resource/Site Preservation
• Intellectual Property Rights
• Legal Issues
• Legislation and Archaeological Preservation
• NAGPRA, Repatriation, and Indigenous Rights
• National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA)
• Politics and Archaeology
• Professionalism and Professional Standards
• Public Engagement, Outreach, and Education
• Section 106
• Underwater Archaeology