Archaeology, Heritage, and Reactionary Populism

A timely collection on the role of public archaeology inan era of reactionary populism

Reactionary populism, seen inradical anti-intellectual movements around the globe, is changing how politicsare practiced and how people view themselves and others. Amid increasingpolarization and extremism, the social role of archaeology is more relevant butalso more difficult. This volume explores how populist politics present newchallenges to public archaeologists in North America, South America, andEurope.

Archaeology,Heritage, and Reactionary Populism shows that the field of communityarchaeology must do more to address how these movements can distort history.Contributors demonstrate why researchers and heritage managers should be awareof the interests their work advances, discuss the ethics of working withcommunities that promote extreme populist values, and examine the waysgovernments affect heritage regulations. Acknowledging that communityarchaeology is often very localized, they argue that it can and should connectwith and inform broader historical narratives.

Written bypractitioners from different subfields of public archaeology, this collection problematizescommonly held assumptions about community, the public, and political action. Atthe same time, it moves beyond critique to propose practical forms ofengagement. This reflective and critical approach will help archaeologistsmobilize their work to engage with the growing influence of reactionarypopulism.

A volume in theseries Cultural Heritage Studies, edited by Katherine Hayes