Archaeological Controversies

Art History vs. Archaeology

Should museum collections have objects that were not discovered scientifically? Is it important to know where an object was recovered to comprehend the meaning of an object?

Kennewick Man

The Kennewick Man controversy includes many of the modern and ancient problems that archaeologists still debate. When were the Americas populated? Who populated them? When are indigenous rights more important than archaeological data, and vice versa?

The Mother-Sister Controversy

The prehistory of Mesoamerica is complicated, and the place of the Olmec as the 'mother' culture of all the others, or simply a 'sister' culture to the Toltec and Maya is at the heart of the complication.