Vitelli, Karen D. and Chip Colwell-Chanthaphonh. 2006. Archaeological Ethics (2nd edition). ISBN-13 978-0-7591-0963-6. 26 chapters, 234 pages, sources, contributor notes. Altamira Press, Walnut Creek, California.
An Eclectic Collection
Archaeological Ethics is a collection of articles ranging a wide array of topics from a wide array of archaeologists. Edited by Karen D. Vitelli and Chip Colwell-Chanthaphonh, the book serves as an excellent source book for teachers and students, as well as for all of us who are interested in the ethics of what it is archaeologists do.
The collection of articles in this second edition of Archaeological Ethics is an eclectic crowd, all published within the past few years in general public venues such as Archaeology and American Archaeology. The papers are divided into five groups: Who Owns the Past; Archaeology and (Inter)National Politics; Affected Peoples; Reburial, Repatriation, and Representation; and The Professional Archaeologist.
The collection of articles in this second edition of Archaeological Ethics is an eclectic crowd, all published within the past few years in general public venues such as Archaeology and American Archaeology. The papers are divided into five groups: Who Owns the Past; Archaeology and (Inter)National Politics; Affected Peoples; Reburial, Repatriation, and Representation; and The Professional Archaeologist.
Who Owns the Past?
Who Owns the Past includes the introduction from the first edition, and then a series of other articles on the impact of looting, fakes, and the introduction of the WWW as a kind of global flea market. Part II addresses the impacts of the ongoing wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, and the conflicting problems with the Indian site of Ayodha.
Part III turns our attention to the impact of archaeology on lesser-developed countries and lesser-advantaged peoples. Part IV includes several chapter discussing the impact of recent legislation on the repatriation movement. Finally, Part V looks at the responsibilities and attitudes of the working archaeologist.
Part III turns our attention to the impact of archaeology on lesser-developed countries and lesser-advantaged peoples. Part IV includes several chapter discussing the impact of recent legislation on the repatriation movement. Finally, Part V looks at the responsibilities and attitudes of the working archaeologist.
A Quite Suitable Textbook on Ethics
Each chapter in the volume contains a set of discussion questions and a brief bibliography for further studies. Archaeological Ethics contains a broad range of articles and would be quite suitable as a textbook for a course on ethics, as a resource for the working or armchair archaeologist, or to anyone seeking a taste of the leading edge of human rights in the field.
