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Archaeological Ethics

Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

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Reconstruction of a Site Archaeologists can use reconstruction of buildings / sites to help interpret the past. So we must ask, should archaeologists reconstruct or leave it as they find it?

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Page 1: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

Archaeological Ethics

Page 2: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

Dealing withHuman Remains

Who controls the past?

Who owns the past?

Conservation &

Preservation

ReconstructionOf sites

ArchaeologicalEthics

Page 3: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

Reconstruction of a Site

• Archaeologists can use reconstruction of buildings / sites to help interpret the past.

• So we must ask, should archaeologists

reconstruct or leave it as they find it?

Page 4: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

Questions to ask….

• Will the process of reconstruction be destructive?

• How authentic will the reconstruction be?

• Can we learn more about the past from the site as it is?

• Could archaeologists make mistakes in the reconstruction and give a false interpretation?

Reconstruction of a Site

Page 5: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

Is this really what a mammoth bone hut looked like 10 000 years ago?

Page 6: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

British archeologist Arthur Evans re-built some sections of the palace at Knossos based on existing knowledge of the Minoan civilisation.

The pillars were built based on relief paintings & the size of the pillar bases that were still present. interesting, but it simply wouldn't happen today.

Page 7: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

Example of some reconstruction of shop fronts at Pompeii

Page 8: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

Activity

• Research the work of Arthur Evans at the palace of Knossos and the

• Answer the following in 1 A4 page:

Should Sir Arthur Evans have reconstructed this archaeological site? Give reasons for your opinion.

Page 9: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

Conservation – Preserving the Past

• Archaeological sites are finite, non-renewable resources.

• Information about the human past is being destroyed.

• A big issue in archaeology is - how to conserve a site?

Page 10: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

• Conservation groups work to conserve and protect archaeological sites across the world.

• Examples include:– UNESCO (United Nations)– ICOMOS (International Council on Sites and

Monuments)– Australian Heritage Commission– Rescue (British Group)

Conservation – Preserving the Past

Page 11: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

• Sometimes conservation requires dramatic, emergency large-scale rescues of sites.

For example: Abu Simbel temples of Ramesses II. This site was saved from submersion in the Nile River. Cost 40 million, took about 4 years.

Conservation – Preserving the Past

Page 12: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

Abu Simbel temples of Ramesses II

Page 13: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological
Page 14: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological
Page 15: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological
Page 16: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

• Other times, conservation is about how to best preserve the site while allowing the public to learn from and enjoy visiting an archaeological site.

For Example: • Building of a replica cave of Lascaux in

France.

Conservation – Preserving the Past

Page 17: Archaeological Ethics. Dealing with Human Remains Who controls the past? Who owns the past? Conservation  Preservation Reconstruction Of sites Archaeological

Lascaux cave in France – replica cave built to conserve original site.