Indigenous Experimental Archaeology: A Community-Driven Remembering of Technique

Summary

Archaeologists rely heavily on experimentation to understand the past. Today, we are not the only ones. Indigenous peoples and members of the public are consulting ethnographic and archaeological museum collections, by trial and error investigating techniques of object production. Many of these individuals work with craft specialists, and others are craftspeople themselves. They seek to learn, remember, and reclaim lost or fading skills in an attempt to connect with their pasts. The process bears striking similarities to academic experimental archaeology, yet often occurs in an inclusive environment, open to community feedback. Here I review the process as it is being undertaken amongst the Sámi in arctic Finland and Norway, and demonstrate the mutual benefits of pursuing a collaborative experimental process.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 82nd Annual Meeting, Vancouver, BC (2017)   •
• Reconstructing Indigenous Practices in Museum Settings: Perspectives and Approaches

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 15102