Theme:
1. Archaeologists and Archaeology Here and Now
Session format:
Regular session
Title:
Public Archaeology and Sites of Conflict [Public Archaeology Community]
Content:
The past is contentious, and archaeologists and heritage practitioners are often at the forefront of interpreting these sites for and with modern audiences. These professionals also have a critical role to play in mediating disagreements over perspectives of the past, or in understanding and negotiating personal and visitors’ emotions when dealing with signs of past conflicts. Working in sites of conflicts (or in sites that create tensions today) may require sensitivity (e.g. when dealing with human remains), clear aims, stakeholder collaborations, and a range of additional measures that may not be necessary in other contexts. How can archaeologists engage with difficult stories? What if stories of the past instigate conflicts/tensions today? What risks must archaeologists consider when working on these types of sites? Are there any opportunities to be harnessed? In this session we welcome papers aimed at exploring these topics, as well as others linked to sites of conflicts, from past battlefields to more recent conflicts and to social tensions stemming from different perspectives of the past.
Keywords:
public archaeology, conflict archaeology, negative heritage, community archaeology
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
no
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Session associated with CAA:
no
Session associated with DGUF:
no
Session associated with other:
EAA Public Archaeology Community
Main organiser:
Francesca Benetti (United Kingdom) 1
Co-organisers:
Camille Westmont (United States) 2
Affiliations:
1. Historic Environment Forum
2. The University of the South
THIS SESSION CAN NOT BE SELECTED AT THIS MOMENT