At the Intersection of Academia and Activism: Using the Historical Ecology Framework Toward the Conservation and Restoration of Natural and Cultural Heritage

Summary

Historical ecology has become one of the most relevant research paradigms in understanding the long-term relationships between humans and their environments. Its multidisciplinary approach dissolves the boundaries between the social and natural sciences to bring together disciplines such as archaeology, ecology, biology, anthropology, ethnohistory, and geography toward the conservation and restoration of natural and cultural heritage. This paper specifically explores archaeology’s unique position within the framework of historical ecology and raises questions regarding its role in contemporary public policy discussions. Archaeological data are invaluable assets in addressing current environmental issues, establishing baselines for natural resource management strategies, and providing insight into long-term human-environment interactions. Concurrently, scholars and academics, traditionally avowedly apolitical, are increasingly redefining the intersection of being an academic and an activist. We bring attention to the community of scholars who engage with historical ecology and present the case for a historical ecology interest group within the Society for American Archaeology. To do this, we present case studies that explore how the historical ecology framework is being used in various contexts to inform and influence management of both natural and cultural heritage.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 83rd Annual Meeting, Washington, DC (2018)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 22392