Dr. Kelly M. Britt

(Assistant Professor of Anthropology,
CUNY-Brooklyn College)

Activism and Archaeology: Present Realities and Future Possibilities

Friday, March 28, 5:10 PM – 7:00 PM

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Abstract

Archaeologists have a history of being agents of change, particularly in advocating for the protection and preservation of historical resources. The passage of many historic preservation laws and the development of the field of Cultural Resources Management in the mid-20^th century enabled archaeological groups, individual archaeologists, and those working with historic sites to be diligent advocates for heritage, particularly in urban centers as the fast-paced nature of urbanization threatened historical resources and a sense of place. Today, as more social issues, such as climate change, inequality, neoliberal development, and contestation of historical memory, intersect with archaeology and historical sites, we see archaeologists and others continuing to advocate not only for historic resources but also for the larger social justice challenges that threaten the communities in which these resources reside. This talk will be a conversation between the intersection of archaeology and activism and what it means to conduct activist archaeology. The many challenges that this work may entail will be highlighted, including the physical and ethical lines between activist and archaeologist and where we, as a discipline, can collectively imagine what a future activist archaeology may look like.