Should Archaeology Have a Future?

Authors

  • LouAnn Wurst Michigan Technological University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/jca.33840

Keywords:

alternatives, archaeology, capitalism, collaboration, education

Abstract

Archaeologists have recently been discussing what the future may hold for archaeology, a focus firmly situated within the context that the discipline of archaeology is authentic and legitimate and deserves to have a future. In this paper, I want to challenge these ideas and think instead about whether archaeology should even have a future. This line of reasoning is developed by examining the relationship between capitalism and the academy, neoliberal transformations to higher education, and some of the ways that archaeologists have responded. I conclude with some suggestions for alternatives, both for those working within the dominant capitalist academic structures themselves and those that eschew capitalism itself.

Author Biography

  • LouAnn Wurst, Michigan Technological University

    LouAnn Wurst is professor in the Industrial Heritage and Archaeology program at Michigan Technological University.

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Published

2019-06-26

How to Cite

Wurst, L. (2019). Should Archaeology Have a Future?. Journal of Contemporary Archaeology, 6(1), 168-181. https://doi.org/10.1558/jca.33840