Archaeology and the Present

Abstract

Archaeology is not only the disinterested study of the human past and its remains but also a way of making a positive impact on present society. Archaeology tells a variety of powerful stories about past and present and offers suggestive metaphors to contemporary society; archaeological methods and approaches can be applied to learn more about contemporary society and to trigger in people existential thoughts and emotions; archaeological expertise can be applied to help solve challenges in contemporary society. It is important for future generations of archaeologists to be aware of these dimensions and to explore and apply them critically in professional practice.

Reconstructing narratives: The politics of heritage in contemporary Syria

“…Cultural heritage sites contain many memories and values deemed necessary to preserve for the future, regardless of whether those memories are negative—concentration camps, bombing locations, battlefields, damaged memorial monuments—or positive: statues, religious buildings, or monumental structures. Holtorf and Burström (2019) indicate that present societies effortlessly provide ideological and political importance to stories of the past, particularly when there is a need to legitimize and encourage or de-legitimize and discourage specific ideological facts, narratives, or political objectives. By the same token, constructing national narratives is often conducted by selecting particular historical incidents from the past and contemporary events to represent and foster the nation’s resilience and cultural identity (De Cesari, 2010; De Cesari and Herzfeld, 2015; Holtorf, 2018).…”