Bringing Artifacts Home: The Opportunities and Challenges of Collaborative Interpretation

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Ideas, Ethical Ideals, and Museum Practice in North American Archaeological Collections" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Place and context give meaning to the artifacts that archaeologists uncover. Yet, artifacts are usually curated in museums and archaeological repositories far from the sites where they were unearthed. This spatial disconnect is often a source of tension for descendant communities. Using the Homolovi State Park in northeastern Arizona as a case study, I examine how exhibit development involving collaboration between archaeologists and members of the Hopi Tribe provided a context to reconnect artifacts with their place of origin. Interpretative projects, such as this one, can also enhance the goals of collaborative archaeology projects beyond field seasons and research projects while also contributing to tribal heritage initiatives. These types of initiatives also face challenges (e.g., funding, sustainability, and secure exhibit spaces) that require project partners to think “outside the box,” both literally and figuratively. Collaborative interpretative projects can also contribute to decolonizing museum practice and tribal initiatives to foster respect for the footprints of their ancestors.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Ideas, Ethical Ideals, and Museum Practice in North American Archaeological Collections   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38591.0