Theme 4: Archaeology and the Public

• Public engagement and interpretation of archaeological sites

  Essential component on conservation and protection of cultural resources and public stewardship
• Definitions of public archaeology

  • On behalf of public: public's interest is represented by state regulations
  • For the public: public interest taken into account by giving narratives
  • By the public: public's rights are given rights to have a say in the study and interpretation
• Two main approaches to public archaeology

  • Educational model: inform public to gain support, primarily done for archaeology's sake
  • Democratic model: meet public needs, follow own social, cultural agendas thus done for public's sake
• US public archaeology


  • Characterised by focus on education and initiated by authorities (top-down)
• NAGPRA


  Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act, return Native American cultural items to respective peoples
• Global movement of post-colonialism giving pride to descendant communities
• Nowadays, all archaeology is public archaeology
• Relevant charters and conventions

  • Burra Charter (1979)
  • Valletta convention (1992)
  • Faro convention (2005)
  • Ename Charter (2008)
• Burra Charter (1979)


  • Developed by ICOMOS Australia
  • First made the role of cultural significant in heritage conservation explicit
  • Focused on the care of Australian indigenous heritage and has been adopted as standard guidelines for heritage conservation practice
• Principles of Burra Charter


  • Heritage places are worth keeping to enrich lives
  • Cultural significant of place is embodied in fabric, setting, contents, use
  • Cultural significance of place best understood by a process of collecting and analysing information
  • Keeping accurate records about decisions and change to ensure care, management and interpretation
• Valletta convention (1992)


  Council of Europe's Convention on the Protection of Archaeological Heritage in Valletta (Malta), Article 9: public involvement in archaeology
• Faro convention (2005)


  Why and for whom the heritage is transmitted, Knowledge and use of heritage form part of citizen's right to participate in cultural life, the need to involve everyone in society
• Ename Charter (2008)


  Interpretation and presentation are part of cultural heritage conservation and management
• Principles of Ename Charter

  • Facilitate understanding of cultural heritage sites
  • Communicate meaning of cultural heritage sites
  • Safeguard tangible and intangible values of cultural heritage sites
  • Respect authenticity of cultural heritage sites
• Community archaeology


  Archaeology for the people by the people
• Target groups for community archaeology

  • Local people
  • Local descendant groups
  • Non-local descendant communities
  • Anyone interested to participate
• Vikings used as political construction of imagined national community in Scandinavian countries of Sweden, Norway, Denmark in the end of 19th century
• • Ale Vikingagård: reconstruction of Viking age farmstead in 2001
  • Cafe, small shop with jewelry and activities for visitors
  • Public interest with local economic benefit
• Portable Antiquities of the Netherlands (PAN) is an online database by private individuals/amateurs, reference collection
• Archaeology by the public

  Private metal detection since 1970s, estimated number of 2500 important collection, not systematically studied/recorded (prior to 2016), problematic relations between private finders and professional archaeologists
• Overall top-down approach because PAN project initiated by government, bottom-up dynamic would be putting in their individual information
• New heritage act July 2016


  30cm topsoil can be metal detected, Monuments and excavations excluded, some municipalities can set limitations, Obligation to report all finds, Ownership: single finds for finders, hoard finds shared between finder and landowner, province claims illegal finds
• Why PAN project?


  Collections have huge research potential, Distribution maps: trade networks, habitational patterns, human mobility, Societal importance: public participation, Heritage management
• Sense of urgency, preventing dramatic loss of information, New Heritage Act 2016 led to PAN project
• Aims of PAN Project


  • Systematic documentation of private collections archaeological finds
  • Make finds available for science and heritage research
  • Online publications in durable database
  • Improve relation between professionals and private searchers
  • International cooperation in these fields
• PAN's functions


  • Registration and publication of Dutch soil finds in private property
  • Open access for all finds
  • Reference collection for archaeological finds
  • Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable (FAIR)
• Roles for private individuals in PAN

  • Declaring their finds
  • After training: register finds from other owners
  • Knowledge: assist in finds
  • Findspots entered as precise as possible
• Outreach methods used by PAN

  • PAN-site reserved for data entering
  • Facebook used for news and contacts
  • Articles in detector magazines + popular scientific magazines
• Illegal behaviour by minority: Looting of scheduled monument sites, no permission of landowner, selling undocumented artefacts, whitewashing
• Preventative approach by PAN

  Work together with organisations and willing individuals, use traditional and new media for attention, booklet for code of conduct
• Control excavations by PAN and RCE for exceptional finds reported by metal detector users, with scientific and outreach aims
• Rising reporting rate: Pre-PAN => declining reports, PAN last years => at least 2.5 to 6x increase
• PAN joins forces with ArcheoHotSpots


  Locations to experience archaeology, Grassroots: individual experience, local initiative
• IAP2 spectrum of public participation

  • Inform: provide balanced and objective information in timely manner
  • Consult: obtain feedback on analysis, issues alternatives and decisions
  • Involve: work with public to make sure that concerns are considered
  • Collaborate: partner with public in each aspect of decision making
  • Empower: place final decision-making in hands of public
• PAN project belongs in empower model of public participation
• USA


  Excavation paid by public funding, public benefit, rights of subaltern groups (native Indians)
• Europe


  State-organised archaeology, wider audiences (legislative = Valletta article 9 = aimed at protection of archaeological heritage, communication with the public)
• Valletta article 9


  • Conduct educational actions
  • Promote public access
• Participatory Action Research (PAR)

  • Participatory: collaboration and empowerment
  • Action: change, real life experiences
  • Research: new knowledge, documented lessons
• Disadvantages of community archaeology

  • Unregulated interference with archaeological sites
  • Unrealistic expectation from communities
  • Disputes and clashes of interests and agendas
  • Client confidentiality