Abstract
Archaeology has to re-think the terms of its practice, because current debate tends to intervene at the level of theory, which leaves the discipline ungrounded in a theory of practice or a conception of the historical coming into being of archaeology as a discipline. From a South African perspective, its grand narrative is primarily concerned with the development of social theory in the West but it does not provide - it cannot provide - an account of the formation of the discipline as a social and signifying practice situated in a broader social and political context. Central to this re-thinking, I argue, are questions of social value, and the role played by archaeology in projects of restitution, social justice, memory and identity.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Archaeological Dialogues |
Volume | 9 |
Issue | 2 |
Pages (from-to) | 74-82 |
Number of pages | 9 |
ISSN | 1380-2038 |
Publication status | Published - 1 Dec 2002 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Archaeological theory
- Colonialism
- Postcolonial archaeology
- South Africa