Evaluating community archaeology in the UK (original) (raw)
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Community archaeology claims to offer the public an opportunity to become engaged with and involved in the interpretation and understanding of the past. It has been claimed that this interactive approach, one of participation in the archaeological process, develops both intangible and tangible values from the past for individuals and communities in the present. Such values range from educational to economic and from political to social; however, these supposed results of community archaeology have yet to be critically analyzed.
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There is a crisis in archaeology that could be fatal to the discipline in its present form. Decades of neglect, followed by savage current cutbacks will transform what has been a dynamic profession in Britain into an elite rump, similar to that which exists in most countries in Europe. Community archaeology projects work at the heart of what has historically been the backbone of support for the entire framework of archaeology in this country; the taxpaying voters. In order to survive, we must embrace community involvement in archaeology and encourage communities to give the clear message to local authorities that our work, and the infrastructure that supports it, is valued and must be properly supported. The choice is between community involvement, or oblivion for archaeology in Britain.
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In the UK, changes in central government agendas and policies can be seen to have influenced the practice of community archaeology. This paper examines the politics which have affected the development of community archaeology in the UK over the last two decades and aims to promote understanding of the character and extent of its impact. It will, through an analysis of period-specific case studies, provide evidence of this develop- ment and suggest what the next stage of progression should be for this form of archaeological outreach. These case studies chart the movement from the amateur-led, informal, ‘community archaeology’ of the 1980s and early 1990s, to the institutionally organized and professional ‘community archae- ology’ of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, considering today’s current hybridity of archaeological outreach. The paper draws on global examples to suggest the future of community archaeology projects in the UK.
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This paper seeks to explore the foundations of community archaeology in the Merseyside Archaeological Society and the local museum Archaeology Department over the last four decades, and consider the role and impact their fieldwork and research has had on local communities, and the regional archaeology of North West England. Using the case study of the recent Rainford’s Roots community archaeology project, this paper will investigate the relationship between regional educational organizations, research centres, public bodies, and registered charities, and explore the processes involved in designing and managing successful community projects. Through working on a variety of partnership projects, local approaches to community archaeology have developed and evolved. This paper assesses the benefits the Rainford’s Roots project has brought to the various parties involved, and reflects on the perspectives of partner organizations and participants on the role of community archaeology in Merseyside.
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The Dig Manchester project was a community archaeology scheme within the city of Manchester that ran from 2005 to 2009. This paper provides an overview of that project, the precursor to which began life under the banner of ‘Dig Moston’ in 2003 and developed in 2005 into ‘Dig Manchester’, finishing in 2009 with the publication of two popular booklets. Throughout its life the project consciously attempted to engage local communities, groups and individuals who would not normally take part in archaeological activity. Reaching out to these communities was seen by some as interfering with the ‘traditional’ voluntary approaches to archaeological fieldwork and drew criticism for such engagement. The project also deliberately collated data on the public and volunteer response to the process or activity of uncovering the past.
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Over the last decade the UK has seen a boom in community archaeology projects. These projects have taken many different forms and have stretched from the public-face of research and developer-funded programs to projects run by museums, archaeological units, universities and archaeological societies, as well as the communities themselves. Community archaeology claims to offer the public an opportunity to become engaged with and involved in the interpretation and understanding of the past. It has been claimed that this interactive approach, one of participation in the archaeological process, develops both intangible and tangible values from the past for individuals and communities in the present. Such values range from educational to economic and from political to social, however these supposed results of community archaeology have yet to be critically analyzed.
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Community archaeology seeks to diversify the voices involved in the interpretation of the past. This sub-discipline, one of the fastest growing areas of the field, facilitates mutual education between archaeologists and communities. Wider recognition for the field is, however, hindered by the fact that it lacks a clear methodological structure. In this analysis the various forms in which community archaeology is practised are addressed through six diverse case studies. The underlying principles of these examples are collated through a detailed comparison with the seven-part general methodology proposed by the Community Archaeology Project Quseir, Egypt (CAPQ), with which I have now worked for four years. The Quseir Project offers the most explicit community archaeology methodology published to date.
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