Teaching Ethics in the Zooarchaeology Classroom

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Animal Matters: Ethics in Zooarchaeology from Discovery to Display" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

As archaeological ethics are at the forefront of modern discussions in archaeology, from the recent update to NAGPRA regulations to the increase in publications that document sexual harassment in the field, it is essential that ethics be incorporated into our undergraduate courses. In building my own undergraduate archaeology courses, I have found it challenging to find resources and texts that cover the diversity of topics needed to address ethics in zooarchaeological contexts. In zooarchaeology courses, we must touch on both ethics that apply to all subfields of archaeology and those specific to working with animal remains, such as wildlife import regulations, understanding endangered species regulations and conservation, and handling biological materials. In this talk, I will discuss activities and resources I have used to teach ethics in zooarchaeology, touching on what have been some of the more successful (and less successful) approaches. Additionally, I will highlight topics in zooarchaeological ethics I have found challenging to teach and resources I have been unable to find but that would benefit my students as they learn these topics. This talk will incorporate information and suggestions I have received from colleagues in other disciplines, such as museums and biology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Animal Matters: Ethics in Zooarchaeology from Discovery to Display   •
• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 51816