Seminar in Anthropology

Catalog description

Topic in Anthropology: Ethical Archaeological Research Spring 2021 - ANT380 Hybrid format Archaeologists working around the world are redefining the discipline by developing socially engaged, community involved, and public-facing archaeologies which are discarding old, west-centric, and colonialist influences on the discipline. This course examines new and innovative approaches to archaeological research and revolves around this complex question: How do archaeologists develop a project that emphasizes not only remains of the past, but also the values, questions, and ideas of descendant and local communities? In other words, how can we make archaeology not simply interesting, but relevant? Additionally, this course will explore how to use this type of archaeological research to investigate Davidson’s past. Topics such as historical archaeology, indigenous archaeology, community archaeology, and the archaeology of slavery will be discussed during participative seminars. Archaeological case-studies rooted in anthropology, (ethno)history, politics, and economy will explore concepts of ethics, epistemology, and ontology. Traditional field methods will also be studied. Guest lecturers from different backgrounds and specialties will contribute a multivocal dimension to this course. Ultimately, this course aims to dive into experiential learning by applying the studied concepts by developing an ethical archaeological research project.