The UCL Institute of Archaeology is delighted to host the 41st annual Theoretical Archaeology Group Conference in December 2019. Founded in 1937, the Institute is one of the largest centres for world archaeology, archaeological sciences and heritage & museum studies in the UK, situated in the heart of the capital.
Venue: UCL Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL
What are the benefits of local communities being involved in public archaeology and caring for heritage – and to whom? We welcome 10-minute position papers that promote or critique how publics are empowered and/or enriched by a knowledge of, and engagement with, the past – and how these relate to local, regional and national identity. Position papers should respond to one or more of the following prompts – or raise their own (related to the theme!):
Does knowledge of the past give communities power, add to notions of identity and cultural heritage – or if not, what is community archaeology for? How do we measure the impact of an intangible feeling of place, identity or general wellbeing that results from a ‘successful’ community project – should we even try? Should these questions be our concern as archaeologists, if the ‘prime directive’ is the excavation and understanding of a site, with preservation by record or in-situ? Are such outcomes for other disciplines to study once the trenches are backfilled and the info-boards are in place? Where would this stance leave the HLF model of funding community projects? Has this financial model driven the situation too far in favour of assumed outcomes and impact?
Organisers: David Jennings; University of York • Harald Fredheim; University of York
14:00 | David Jennings, University of York | Introduction
14:05 | Hilary Leathem, University of Chicago | Heritage and its Discontents: The Power Dynamics of Heritage Projects in Southern Mexico.
14:25 | Catriona Cooper, University of Cambridge / University of York | Stories in the Sky: community groups and storytelling at Park Hill flats
14:45 | Nathaniel Welsby, University of Lancashire | What does archaeology actually mean to those in primary education?
15:05 | Claire Boardman, University of York | communal memory and social cohesiveness
15:25 | - | BREAK
15:55 | Hayley Saul, Western Sydney University; Emma Waterton, Western Sydney University | Heritage and Affect in Nepal’s Post-Disaster Recovery: Working with the Community of Langtang
16:40 | Harald Fredheim, University of York; David Jennings, University of York | Q&A and Discussant conclusions
