ARCHAEOLOGY AND SOCIETY: Local Pasts in a Global Present 

Course Description: How does archaeology affect society? How does society affect archaeology? Archaeology and society are intertwined, locally and globally. This course interrogates those connections, examining the twin themes of (a) the role of archaeological heritage and archaeological investigation within society, and (b) the influence of social and political forces on archaeological interpretation, governance, and practice. In exploring these themes, we consider the perspectives of ethnic communities, feminist groups, courts of law, indigenous peoples, museums, developers, antiquities markets, governments, the general public, popular media, and the archaeological community. We also consider how the archaeological past is used as a commodity, to create community, to create legitimacy, or to exert power over others. Throughout, we consider the effects of globalization on archaeological heritage. An artifact or archaeological monument only exists physically in one place at a time, but its influence can reach around the world, and endure for many centuries; our modern world demands that we understand how globalization now shapes and distributes that influence.

Format: Three seminar hours.

Evaluation: To be announced in the first week of classes.

Projected Enrolment: 50