Public and digital archaeology

Teacher(s)

Vanden Broeck-Parant Jean;

Language

French
> English-friendly

Prerequisites

Fluency in English. 

Main themes

The course deals with different aspects of contemporary archaeological practice, taking a coherent approach to strategies for the study, enhancement and conservation of objects, sites and landscapes. Archaeological practice is thus considered from the point of view of its logistical, economic, legal and societal aspects, particularly in its relationship with the public and local communities, in a variety of geographical and political contexts. With this in mind, the course also looks at the relationship between the discipline and its players and major contemporary societal issues. In this context, digital tools for data acquisition and processing, as well as for sharing and disseminating results, are given particular attention. 

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :
1	Understand the organizational and societal constraints and issues specific to given archaeological contexts
2	Think critically about the application of digital tools (and, more generally, new technologies) to the practice of archaeology and its dissemination
3	Argue about the role of archaeology and archaeologists in contemporary society

Content

Public archaeology is a field of study and research which aims to investigate the relationships and interactions between archaeology and the contemporary world, and which relates to three major aspects: society, the economy and politics.  
After an introduction to public archaeology and its various concepts, a number of specific cases will be presented, illustrating the diversity of constraints and issues in different countries and study contexts (Belgium, Italy, Greece, Egypt, etc.). These case studies will provide an opportunity to address the following topics: 

• Archaeologists' relations with local communities and their involvement in field research and the dissemination of results. 
• Site enhancement: ergonomics and durability of facilities, use of new technologies, etc. 
• The various applications of digital tools (in the broadest sense) in data acquisition and processing, and in the dissemination of results. 
• The positioning of archaeology and archaeologists in relation to major contemporary societal issues: climate change and ecology, imperialism and decolonialism, national and international conflicts, gender equality and feminism, technological developments (artificial intelligence), etc. 
• The political implications of archaeological practice and the political exploitation/recovery of archaeology and heritage. 
• The representation of archaeology in popular culture (books, radio/podcasts, cinema, video games, etc.). 
• Education and awareness-raising about archaeology and heritage, particularly among children, through storytelling that makes more room for emotional involvement. 

Teaching methods

The course consists of introductory lectures on concepts relating to public archaeology and, for the most part, thematic presentations or specific case studies, with regular contributions from researchers inside and outside UCLouvain, and more generally from players in the various fields listed above. 
These presentations will include a degree of interactivity with students, who will be given a portfolio of readings to help them prepare in advance. Active student participation is encouraged during and/or alongside the presentations, in the form of discussions. 
Where appropriate, the course will include participation in activities such as colloquia, visits or other events. 

Evaluation methods

Assessment is continuous and based on written and/or oral assignments, the instructions for which are given in the first class. Part of the grade is based on active student participation. 
Continuous assessment. Assignments and/or oral presentations. Participation grade.

Other information

The course will consist of a lecture or conference, as well as a discussion following the presentation of the theme. The lecture will be followed, from the 4th class onwards (depending on the size of the group), by a seminar organised by the students, which will form part of the assessment.

Online resources

All the teaching material related to the course will be made available to students on Moodle. Most publications will be in English, so a passive comprehension of English is essential.

Bibliography

•    Buchli, V. and G. Lucas (eds) (2001). Archaeologies of the Contemporary Past. London: Routledge
•    González-Ruibal, A. (2018). An Archaeology of the Contemporary Era. London: Routledge
•    Graves-Brown, P., R. Harrison and A. Piccini (eds). 2013. The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology of the Contemporary World. Oxford: Oxford University Press
•    Harrison, R. and J. Schofield (eds) (2010). After Modernity: Archaeological Approaches to the Contemporary Past. Oxford, Oxford University Press.
•    Harrison, R. and Breithoff, E. (2017) ‘Archaeologies of the Contemporary World’, Annual Review of Anthropology, (46), pp. 203–221.
•    Holtorf, C and Piccini, A. (eds) (2011). Contemporary Archaeologies: Excavating Now. 2nd edition. Frankfurt: Peter Lang.
•    Olsen, B. and Pétursdóttir, Þ. (2014) Ruin Memories: Materialities, Aesthetics and the Archaeology of the Recent Past. London: Routledge.
•    Mullins, P. R. (2011) The Archaeology of Consumer Culture. Gainesville: University Press of Florida.
•    Rathje, W. L. and C. Murphy (2001). Rubbish! The Archaeology of Garbage. Tucson, The University of Arizona Press.
•    Sosna, D. and Brunclíková, L. (2016) Archaeologies of waste: encounters with the unwanted. Barnsley: Oxbow.

Faculty or entity

> EHAC