Ethics and the Archaeologist

Archaeological Ethics is a collection of articles published in Archaeology and American Archaeology about many different aspects of ethics in the field. Edited by Karen Vitelli and Chip Colwell-Chanthaphonh.

The American Cultural Resources Association (ACRA) is the professional association for the CRM community in the United States; their code of ethics is of considerable importance.

An article in Archaeology magazine details the worst case scenario of ethical breaches: the grim story of antiquities dealer and thug Jack Lee Harelson.

Heritage preservation charter from the International Conference on Conservation called "Krakow 2000" and its Plenary Session "Cultural Heritage as the Foundation of the Development of Civilisation."

From British Archaeology, an article by George Lambrick on the ethics of balancing sustainable development and preservation of cultural heritage.

Context is at the core of archaeological ethics. It is only by considering the entire contents of an archaeological site together that we can even begin to understand what our ancestors were about. Take an artifact out of its context and you reduce that artifact to no more than pretty. The information about its maker is gone.

The online newsletter of the Illicit Antiquities Research Centre at the McDonald Institute at Cambridge; contains articles addresses issues of looting and antiquities thefts around the world, although there is a concentration on archaeology in the UK.

Excavated stone sculptures from the Extramural Sanctuary of Demeter and Persephone at Cyrene were stolen from the University of Pennsylvania's storeroom at Cyrene; can you help? From Mark Rose at Archaeology Magazine

An article in Archaeology magazine by Ricardo Elia on the RMS Titanic and ongoing efforts to preserve underwater cultural resources.

An article in the Economist magazine discussing the ethical attitudes involved in archaeology today.

An article in Al Mashriq from Martha Sharp Joukowsky on the need for people-oriented archaeology.

A development/cultural heritage issue in Australia, concerning not only development of a bridge project and Aboriginal heritage, but also the validity of anthropological research. This is the court decision, and it is long and, uh, legal.

Web and documentary resources on the archaeological politics of private collecting, commercial treasure hunting, and "professional" archaeology.

Charter on the Protection and Management of Underwater Cultural Heritage.

Sometimes archaeologists forget that a code of ethics requires that they remember that what they do impinges on others. It happened nearly fifteen years ago, and I can still remember the expression on the landowner's face when he realized his farm was going to be under the new overpass.

From Archaeology magazine, a special report on a faked mummy in Pakistan's National Museum.

As ethical archaeologists we have to recognize that what we do makes a difference to other people, may even endanger or destroy the very cultural tangibles we are trying to save, or the people of the land in which we work.

The premier international organization for the preservation of archaeological sites.