Radical Heritage Archaeology: A Case Study from the W.E.B. Du Bois Homesite in Great Barrington, Massachusetts

Summary

Archaeology at the W.E.B. Du Bois Homesite was based on the goals of combining archaeological problem solving with the teaching of field methods and techniques.  It began in the 1980s when the dominant ethic in archaeology was conservation and Cultural Resource Management. Today, the dominant practice of archaeology has been transformed by projects like the New York African Burial Ground  to revolutionized how we think about archaeology’s relationship with the community.  This paper, based on experiences of this past summer's Radical Heritage Archaeology Field School, has raised questions such as, what are "field methods and techniques" for a 21st century archaeology?  Is our goal to manage relations with communities or to participate with them in furthering their heritage goals?  And, are the notions of "heritage" and "radical" incompatible? The results of our experience - the good, the bad, and the ugly- help us in future field schools and research projects.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Archaeologies of Intersectionality   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2013

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Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

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PaperId(s): 483