How Financial Settlements Can Transform the Perceived Value of Archaeological Work and Sites

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Cultural Heritage Laws and Policies, Political Economy, and the Community Importance of Archaeological Sites", at the 2024 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

This presentation explores the potentially transformative impact of financial settlements on the perceived value of the quality of archaeological work and archaeological sites themselves. In cases where project proponents do not value archaeological quality and have caused irreparable harm to sites and communities, financial settlements can mitigate harm and promote long-term behavioral change. Such settlements can hold proponents accountable for illegal activities, inadequate consultation, and/or project impacts while empowering stakeholders and descendant communities with resources to bolster capacity, research, and preservation outcomes. This presentation will provide examples of settlements that have included financial mitigation, describe which factors affect the feasibility of this approach, and discuss key considerations for stakeholders in tough negotiations over the value of archaeological sites.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2024   •
• Cultural Heritage Laws and Policies, Political Economy, and the Community Importance of Archaeological Sites

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow