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- The past has different meanings for different people, and often personal identity is defined by the past. Increasingly archaeology is playing a role in the definition of national identity where the past is used to legitimize the present by reinforcing a sense of national greatness. Ethnicity, which is just as strong a force today as in earlier times relies upon the past for legitimization as well, sometimes with destructive consequences.
- Ethics is the science of what is right and wrong, or morality, and most branches of archaeology are seen to have an ethical dimension. Until recent decades archaeologists gave little thought to such questions as "who owns the past." Now every archaeological decision should take ethical concerns into account.
- Many nations believe that it is the duty of the government to have policies with regard to conservation, and these conservation laws often apply to archaeology. Cultural Resource Management has grown over the past decades to meet the demand for salvage archaeology and private firms usually do this work. Construction, agricultural intensification, tourism, and looting are all human activities that damage or destroy sites.
- Perhaps the saddest type of archaeological destruction comes from the looting of sites. Through this act, all information is destroyed in the search for highly saleable artifacts. Police now consider the theft and smuggling of art and antiquities to be second in scale only to the drug trade in the world of international
crime.
- Archaeologists have a duty to report what they find. Since excavation is, to a certain extent, destructive, published material is often the only record of what was found at a site. Perhaps up to 60 percent of modern excavations remain unpublished after 10 years. Governments and professional organizations are taking a harsher stance against archaeologists who do not publish and often will not grant digging permits to those who have unpublished work. The internet and the popular media can help to fulfil one of the fundamental purposes of archaeology: to provide the public with a better understanding of the past.?
Key Concept Identifications
You should be familiar with the meaning and importance of each of the following terms:
Conservation and Destruction
- Salvage archaeology, p. 558
The Rise of CRM in the United States
- Cultural resource management (CRM), p. 558
- State Historic Preservation Officer (SHIPO), p. 558
- Contract archaeology, p. 569
Archaeology at the Fringe
- Pseudo-archaeology, p. 572
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