Archaeology, Activism, and Protest

This collection contains the abstracts of the papers presented in the session entitled "Archaeology, Activism, and Protest," at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Archaeology has always been shaped by the time period in which it is taking place. Social movements of the 1960s spurred on post-processual, critical, and reflexive approaches. Some activists spoke out against archaeology at places like Indigenous burial grounds in Minnesota and the African Burial Ground in New York. Other activists called for more archaeology at places like Independence Mall in Pennsylvania. As the field diversified, archaeology changed from the inside and out. Forms of activist archaeology, practiced with respect for and often solidarity with activists, began to take hold. When archaeologists become involved in the agendas of activists, whatever lines might have existed between them can dissolve: the archaeologists can become activists and vice versa. Some scholars fear that archaeology should not be political while others argue that it has always been political. This session explores recent work on archaeology, activism, and protest.