Polarizing Perspectives: The Place of Theory in Academic and CRM Archeology

Summary

This is a poster submission presented at the 2025 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

Despite cultural resource management (CRM) employing over 80% of archeologists in the workforce today, the realities of the field and employment within it are rarely taught at the undergraduate level. This poster investigates the author’s own university education and contrasting experiences in academia and now, as an individual employed in the CRM industry. To frame this discussion, I critically reflect on the theoretical frameworks used in my undergraduate thesis to discuss heritage tourism in light of recent developments in antiracist archeology, and more broadly the archeology of slavery. This is compared to my experiences working in CRM with complex datasets related to late-19th and early-20th century tenancy in Texas. Of particular interest are the theoretical frameworks underpinning artifact analyses and historical research. Finally, the poster reflects on our civic responsibilities as archeologists, and how these aims both intersect and are at odds with our professional responsibilities in contract archeology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for Historical Archaeology 2025   •
• 2025 SHA Poster Submissions

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Nicole Haddow