ANTH 3130 Archaeology & Society
Class notes 18 Oct 2007
Welcome back!
Plan for Class today...
Attendance sheet...
Announcements
Discussion of Holtorf / Skeates comparison
Case study: Troy - video segments from:
The Truth of Troy (York DVD #8333) and the feature film Troy (also available at York's Scott Library)
Announcements
1) Quizzes look good. Grades coming next week.
2) Paper outline/biblio is due in class next week, on Oct 25. For resources... here is a link to the Reserve Desk ... type in Denning and select Arch & Society for a ton of good material. Also explore www.archaeology.org for hot topics and good background (use the Search feature), or UNESCO/World Heritage: http://whc.unesco.org/
3) NEXT WEEK: ANNOUNCEMENT
WE HAVE A GUEST LECTURER, MORAG KERSEL, COMING IN TO TALK ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF LOOTING.
PLEASE COME TO CLASS READY TO ENGAGE WITH OUR SPEAKER!
So, an adjustment to the reading for next week ...
Reading for Thurs Oct 25: Read Holtorf 5-7, and skim these three articles on looting (we'll review them in class before the guest lecture). Click the names for pdfs.
Reading for Thurs Nov 1: Holtorf Ch 7-9 AND Rowan Ch 1, 3, 4
Then back to the schedule as originally stated.
4) Reading for Oct 18, today: Holtorf Chapters 1,2,3,4 pp 1- 77. Homework for today: Write a short (350-500 word) reflection comparing the attitudes towards the past in Skeates book with the first four chapters of the Holtorf book. Considering their overall approach to the past: How are their views similar? How are they different? Explore any aspect. For specific points or quotations, cite your sources carefully, as you would for an essay. Use the Anthropology citation system.
5) For next week... Issues we'll be talking about in class before our guest speaker about looting. You don't have to write anything, but please come prepared to discuss these questions:
a) Stonehenge comes up a few times in the Holtorf book and the Skeates book. Pay special attention to those references. Consider: what's the best way to understand what Stonehenge means to people today?
b) Authenticity: what does it really mean to you? Does it matter whether something is real or a replica? Why or why not? Think about concrete examples from your own world.
c) Is the past a renewable resource? What do you think? What do Holtorf and Skeates each think?
Considering their overall approach to the past: How are their views similar? How are they different?
For example, taking Skeates' view....
SKEATES
Chapter 1: Defining the Archaeological Heritage: Here, Skeates demonstrates that ‘archaeological heritage’ is a flexible term that tends to incorporate different meanings: (a) “the material culture of past societies that survives in the present” (p 9), and (b) “the process through which the material culture of past societies is re-evaluated and re-used in the present” (pp 9-10). But there are a host of different operational definitions used by organizations like UNESCO, national governments, and by professional archaeologists, and by indigenous peoples. One of the key points here is that how we define “heritage” and “heritage really worth protecting” has a profound effect upon archaeological sites and those who care about them. Another key point is that “archaeological heritage” and “cultural heritage” are not always easily separated. “Archaeological” tends to imply that it something belongs to the past, but this is not always the case in practice.
Chapter 2: Owning the Archaeological Heritage: In this chapter, Skeates outlines the competing interest groups who have a stake in the past, and some of the controversies over the custody of archaeological remains. The interest groups include indigenous peoples, museum professionals, national and regional governments, international organizations like UNESCO, professional archaeologists and physical anthropologists, and private collectors (p 19). The long-running and very important disputes include those around Native American human remains (p 22-30), and the Parthenon Marbles (p 30-37). Each of these disputes has posed huge ethical and legal challenges to the status quo, and they are changing archaeology, anthropology, and museology profoundly. They are far from fully resolved.
Chapter 3: Protecting the Archaeological Heritage: This chapter is concerned with threats to archaeological heritage, particularly the looting and illegal trade of antiquities. Contributing factors include devastated traditional economies in under-developed parts of the world, ‘easy money’ for the unscrupulous in the developed world, the international art and antiquities market, the rising demand from private collectors, and the idea that everyone has the right to personally own part of the past. Laws and international conventions designed to protect antiquities are emerging frequently, but are often ineffective; changes in attitude among sellers and buyers are needed.
On cases like that, what does Holtorf say, or what do you think he might say?
By the way, if you're interested in looting / the antiquities trade for your paper, you could explore these links:
The Red List of Heritage at Risk: http://icom.museum/redlist/
Stealing History:
http://www.mcdonald.cam.ac.uk/iarc/home.htm
Cycladic Figurines: http://www.cycladic-m.gr/en_version/cyc_collection.htm but also http://www.jstor.org/view/00029114/ap020398/02a00020/0
George Ortiz: http://www.georgeortiz.com/aasite/
Weary Herakles: http://www.mcdonald.cam.ac.uk/iarc/illicit-antiquities/casesudies.htm
Lydian Treasure/ Lydian Hoard: http://www.about-turkey.com/karun/main.htm
Video and discussion:
"The Truth of Troy", 2004
Troy II Treasure or "Priam's Treasure" before it was divided and sent to multiple museums.
*** Regional map showing configuration of the bay of Troy during Troy VI-VII (Middle to Late Bronze Age).
*** Aerial view (mound at upper right).
*** Composite plan, showing Troy levels I (black), II (yellow), and VI (red).
*** Composite section, showing Troy levels I (black), II (yellow), and VI (red), with Classical-period temple on top.
*** Levels in pancake fashion, with reconstruction of Troy VI (Late Bronze Age) at lower right.
QUESTION FOR DISCUSSION:
How does this example compare to the case of Great Zimbabwe and the Palace of the Lost City, which we viewed last week? Zimbabwe. Lost Cities of the South. PBS. 50 minutes. 1999. York vid #5686 Series: Wonders of the African World. www.pbs.org/wonders/index.html
NOTE: If you'd like to read the Iliad -- upon which the film Troy, and the documentary we watched in class today, was based... here: http://classics.mit.edu/Homer/iliad.html
or here (in a somewhat more modern translation): http://www.mala.bc.ca/~johnstoi/homer/iliad_title.htm