Additional Information

Course Number

ANTHR 4460/7460, ARKEO 7460

Course Level

Course Description

An exploration of the ways that cultural heritage is embodied in things, particularly archaeological landscapes, sites, and artifacts.   Identifying stakeholders in relation to collecting and controlling these things and representing heritage is a key focus:  what voices should states and other political entities have?  local residents? descendants?  How should descendants be identified?  Other key topics include looting and the market in smuggled antiquities; repatriation; the ethics of studying and publishing looted objects; community engagement; forces that destroy heritage and strategies for preserving it; re-invented and imagined heritage.  These issues will be examined using the collections of the Johnson Museum of Art and through case studies, including Colonial Williamsburg, African Burial Ground, Harriet Tubman House, the ancient Maya, and archaeology in the Third Reich.

Syllabus Available

No

Taxonomies

RPA Codes & Standards

• Adequate Preparation for Research Projects
• 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 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
• Adequate and Responsible Reporting, Publication, and Dissemination
• Avoid, Discourage, and Report Unethical and Illegal Activity
• Consultation/Partnership with Affected Groups
• Consultation/Partnership with Indigenous Peoples
• Continuity of Records
• Culturally Significant and/or Sacred Sites, Objects, and Places
• General Archaeological Ethics
• Impact on Communities - Local, Descendant, etc.
• Integrity of Research Methodology and Field Procedures
• Management of Cultural Resources, Heritage, History
• Museum, Collection, Curation and Display Standards
• Professional Relationships and Communication
• Public Interest, Collaboration, Education, and Outreach
• Repatriation
• Respect for and Responsibility to Affected Groups
• Stewardship

Topics & Issues

• Antiquities Trade
• Archaeological Advocacy and Activism
• Archaeological Ethics - Other
• Collaboration in Archaeology (i.e. Communities, Non-Archaeologists, etc.)
• Community Archaeology and Participatory Research
• Conservation and Ethics
• Descendant, Resident, and Stakeholder Communities
• Ethical Dilemmas
• Ethical Responsibilities of Archaeologists
• Heritage Management
• Interpreting the Past
• Legal Issues
• Politics and Archaeology
• Professional Development
• Professionalism and Professional Standards
• Public Engagement, Outreach, and Education