Community archaeology

Community archaeology is archaeology by the people for the people. The field is also known as public archaeology. There is debate about whether the terms are interchangeable; some believe that community archaeology is but one form of public archaeology, which can include many other modes of practice, in addition what is described here. The design, goals, involved communities, and methods in community archaeology projects vary greatly, but there are two general aspects found in all community archaeology projects. First, community archaeology involves communities "in the planning and carrying out of research projects that are of direct interest to them". Second, community archaeologists generally believe they are making an altruistic difference. Many scholars on the subject have argued that community collaboration does not have a pre-set method to follow. Although not found in every project, there are a number of recurring purposes and goals in community archaeology. Similarities are also found in different countries and regions—due to commonalities in archaeological communities, laws, institutions, and types of communities. It has also been suggested that public archaeology can be defined in a broad sense as the production and consumption of archaeological "commodities".

In the United States community archaeology can broadly be separated into three distinct types: projects that collaborate with American Indians, projects that collaborate with other local and descendant communities, and outreach specifically for public education.

Archaeologists have a long history of excavating American Indian sites without consulting or collaborating with American Indians. Points of tension include, but are not limited to, the excavation and collection of human remains, the destruction and collections of sacred sites and objects, and archaeological interpretations that ignored or contradicted the opinions and beliefs of American Indians. Even the so-called ‘father of American archaeology’ Thomas Jefferson excavated adults and sub-adults from a site still visited by American Indians and Pilgrims plundered an American Indian grave days after anchoring at Cape Cod. Indeed, “American Indians tend to equate archaeologists with pothunters, grave looters, or, even worse, animals who feast off of the dead (i.e., the “Vulture Culture”). Most do not trust the system supposedly designed to protect their heritage.” Also, any prehistoric archaeological excavation in the Americas will involve the material products left by the ancestors of American Indians. For these reasons, community archaeology projects with both federally and non-federally recognized American Indians are different from those that collaborate with local and other descent communities. Some have found that collaboration can be a means to “break down barriers” between American Indians and archaeologists, and that in collaboration “[e]ach side learns something from the other.” There are many unique ways archaeological collaboration can benefit American Indians. Kerber reports that:

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