Communities of Archaeological Inquiry: Documenting a German Neolithic Landscape in Cooperation with Avocational Archaeologists

Summary

This poster explores the history, methods, motivations, and contributions of three avocational archaeologists whose lifelong legacies helped to shape an international research project on the Neolithic settlement of the southeastern Swabian Alb in Germany. Their efforts to document site locations and build significant private collections span three generations, from the 1920s to today, and led to the discovery of a rich archaeological landscape previously unrecognized by professional archaeologists. In the context of cultural heritage preservation law in the state of Baden-Württemberg, we consider the history of relationships between avocational and professional archaeologists and the benefits and pitfalls of scientific cooperation between these groups. We argue for the importance of documenting private collections and developing such partnerships for the success of regional settlement pattern studies. For example, due to local knowledge of the landscape, access to community networks, and opportunity for year-round observation, most site locations were identified by avocational archaeologists. Also, larger and more diverse surface collections were amassed than was possible for our short-term systematic surveys. At the same time, communication between professional and avocational archaeologists can lead to more systematic documentation and reporting of private collections. We reflect on strategies for improving and strengthening such cooperative efforts.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage