Quote of the Week: Harke and Arnold on Politics and Archaeology

The various and changing attitudes of archaeologists towards migrations and ethnicity demonstrate the value of, and indeed the necessity for, constant critical examination of our own views on politically sensitive issues. At stake is not just our claim to carry out unbiased research and to engage in open-minded, unprejudiced debate but also our claim not to provide direct support for partisan political positions and our desire to be free in our work from political interference and pressure. Heinrich Härke

I am not sure, however, what conclusions to draw from [Harke's] "desire to be free in our work from political interference and pressure." Does this mean that research results that clearly could be appropriated by "partisan political" forces should not be published until the political climate has changed? Isn't all research potentially vulnerable to misuse once it has entered the public domain? How will anticipating such abuses by policing research results make us more "free in our work"? ...Where do we as researchers draw the line? Bettina Arnold

Heinrich Härke. 1998. Archaeologists and migrations: A problem of attitude? Current Anthropology 39(1):19-45

Note: The photo on this blog is not intended to cast aspersions onto Princeton's Ecology and Evolutionary Biology department; but the Greek lettering carved into the ivied wall translates to "Know thyself" and it simply seemed too perfect a companion image to not use it here.

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