Managing the Past - Summary

The Destruction of the Past

• Humans cause destruction of archaeological sites through:
  • Construction (roads, buildings, etc.)
  • Agriculture (mechanized farming)
  • Conflict/War (deliberate targeting, looting)
  • Tourism
  • Looting
• War:
  • Deliberate targeting of monuments and sites for national, ethnic, or religious motives.
  • Looting during conflict feeds illicit antiquities trade.
  • The 1954 Hague Convention ratified recently by the US and the UK (US in 2009, UK in 2017).

The Response: Survey, Conservation, and Mitigation

• Survey:
  • Occurs before development.
  • Assesses archaeology, recent history, and the environment.
  • Uses techniques like aerial photography, satellite images, GIS mapping, and field walking.
• Conservation:
  • Protection for major sites and monuments.
  • Essential part of heritage management.
  • Focus on the broader landscape.
• Mitigation:
  • Seeks to avoid damage to archaeology due to development.
  • Based on survey findings, a mitigation plan is devised.
  • Rescue archaeology may halt development, for example, the Great Temple in Mexico City.
  • A part of the budget is allocated to mitigation projects.

The Practice of CRM

• CRM (Cultural Resources Management) also known as applied archaeology, is more than 90% of field archaeology today.
• The National Historic Preservation Act and The National Environmental Policy Act require review of the effect on environmental, cultural, and historical resources.
• Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires:
  • Identification of historic places
  • Evaluation of impact
  • Data recovery (if necessary)
• Research interests must be balanced with public interests.

International Protection

• UNESCO is the vehicle for protection at the international level.
• World Heritage Convention 1972 includes:
  • World Heritage List, incentivizes protection.
  • World Heritage in Danger, highlights specific needs of sites.
  • Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003 Convention).
• Controlling trade depends primarily on national laws and agreements between nations.
• Protecting heritage in times of war:
  • 1954 Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict.

Publication, Archives, and Resources

• Publication and dissemination of results does not match the pace of survey.
• Few countries publish effectively.
• Solutions may include online publication.
• UK’s PAS (Portable Antiquities Scheme) helps develop communication between professional archaeologists and the wider public.

What Use Is the Past?

• Increasingly popularity of archaeology because:
  • Importance of roots to humankind.
  • Increasing find numbers.
  • Awe at human achievements.
  • Learning about the human past enables us to learn about what it means to be human.

Looking to the Future

• Climate change.
• Social justice: greater inclusion and diversity.
• Archaeologists have a particular commitment to engaging with social justice movements.
• Archaeologists have responsibilities to contribute to developing solutions for today’s challenges.