Session: #242

Content:

Over the last few decades, several conceptual, epistemological, and philosophical advances have permeated archaeological practice and theory, bringing to light the fact that, despite our best efforts, much of human history remains undiscovered. While several of our limitations in the understanding of the human past are often caused by issues such as preservation, under-representation in archaeological assemblages, and lack of funding, many others can be attributed to investigator biases shaped by popular ideas and stereotypes built around our vision of the past.

Following this, many archaeologists have been actively working to expand on those previously overlooked narratives, such as the study of women and children, economic inequality and social marginalization. The result of such efforts is that our present understanding of the past is more detailed, complete, and accurate than ever before. Yet, while some narratives are now commonly explored by archaeologists (e.g., gender, children, socioeconomic disparities), many others (such as the experience of those with intersex conditions, disabilities, mental health conditions, etc.) remain unexplored, invisible to our records.

This session aims to reflect on our approach to the past, and move towards a more diverse and inclusive understanding of our human history by exploring invisible peoples, as well as the embodiment of their lived experiences. We invite papers investigating innovative approaches to address invisible people in archaeology, with the aim of discussing future steps in the exploration of how our discipline can identify and analyze diverse narratives. We welcome archaeologists, anthropologists, historians, and other scholars to partake in a multidisciplinary dialogue on untold histories and invisible people.

Session: #242

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