Search

La arqueología preventiva (también conocida como arqueología comercial o arqueología profesional) nació durante los años sesenta para enfrentar la pérdida de registros arqueológicos en áreas sujetas a desarrollo urbanístico, principalmente en ciudades. Tras unos inicios difíciles, la arqueología preventiva ha sido el campo de la disciplina arqueológica que más ha crecido en los últimos cincuenta años. Dos han sido sus principios fundamentales: condicionar las nuevas construcciones a una excavación previa y que los promotores asuman el coste de esas excavaciones. Cincuenta años después, se propone una revisión crítica de la arqueología preventiva haciendo un recorrido por sus principales tópicos. La sociedad está cambiando y la conciencia de la emergencia ecológica posiblemente nos obligue a repensar la lógica de consumo de suelo propia del capitalismo. La nueva arqueología preventiva debe adaptarse a un marco de decrecimiento y mayor conciencia sobre la finitud de los recursos, incluido el registro arqueológico. Preventive archaeology (aka development-led archaeology) originated in 1960s to address the destruction of archaeological features stemming from urban development. After difficult beginnings, preventive archaeology has become the fastest growing area of the discipline of archaeology in the last 50 years. Its two main principles have been to render excavation a condition prior to construction and oblige developers to assume the costs. This article thus offers a critical review of the main topics of preventive archaeology subsequent to its inception 50 years ago. Society is changing and awareness of the ecological emergency may force it to rethink capitalism’s perspective of land consumption. New preventive archaeology must therefore adapt itself to a framework of degrowth and a greater awareness of the finiteness of resources, including that of the archaeological record. Este texto se ha redactado al amparo del proyecto I+D+i “Valoración y tasación de los bienes pertenecientes al Patrimonio Arqueológico”, del Plan Estatal de Investigación Científica, Técnica y de Innovación 2021-2023 del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.

There is a long history in the United Kingdom of local people doing archaeology and history for themselves in their own local communities. The earliest local archaeology societies were formed in the 1840s, university classes in archaeology were run for part-time adult students from the 1930s, local metal detecting groups began in the 1960s and national lottery funding has been given to local heritage projects since the 1990s. The attitude of professional archaeologists to these local groups has varied from partnership and support to outright hostility. This paper will look at the importance of archaeology for local communities, how it has developed and changed and how the professional sector has responded. It will cover the latest efforts by the CBA to support community engagement with local heritage. Hi ha una llarga tradició en el Regne Unit de grups locals dedicats per compte propi a l'arqueologia i a la història de les pròpies comunitats. Les primeres societats arqueològiques locals es van formar cap al 1840; cursos universitaris sobre arqueologia per a adults es van iniciar cap al 1930; els grups dedicats a la detecció de metalls comencen a funcionar cap al 1960, la National Lottery atorga finançament a projectes de patrimoni local des de la dècada dels noranta del segle passat. L'actitud de l'arqueologia professional envers aquests grups locals ha anat variant des de la col·laboració i el suport fins a l'hostilitat. En aquesta aportació es prestarà atenció a la importància que té l'arqueologia per a les comunitats locals; veurem com s'ha anat desenvolupant i modificant i com ha correspost a tot plegat el sector professional. També es mostraran els darrers esforços realitzats pel Council of British Archaeology per tal de donar suport a la implicació de les comunitats amb el patrimoni local. Existe una larga tradición en el Reino Unido de grupos locales dedicados por su cuenta a la arqueología y la historia en sus propias comunidades. Las primeras sociedades arqueológicas loca les se formaron hacia 1840; cursos universitarios sobre arqueología para adultos se iniciaron hacia 1930; los grupos dedicados a la detección de metales empiezan a funcionar hacia 1960, y la National Lottery otorga financiación a proyectos de patrimonio local desde la década de los noventa del siglo pasado. La actitud de la arqueología profesional hacia estos grupos locales ha ido variando desde la colaboración y el apoyo hasta, directamente, la hostilidad. En esta aportación se prestará atención a la importancia de la arqueología para las comunidades locales, cómo se ha desarrollado y modificado y cómo ha respondido a ello el sector profesional. También abordará los últimos esfuerzos realizados por el Council of Bristish Archaeology para apoyar la implicación de las comunidades con el patrimonio local.

Only in recent times the archaeological research has focused on the relationship between this science and the social, political and economical context. The serious distortion that exists between the professional image of Archaeology and the social one is analysed through thirty films, standing out the consequences that this distortion has in the academic, educative and professional areas. Finally, a militant Archaeology based in the postulates of the Critic Theory and the dialectic materialism is proposed as a solution of this division between Archaeology and society. Sólo en los últimos años la investigación arqueológica se ha dirigido a analizar la relación de esta ciencia con el contexto social, político o económico actual. La grave distorsión que existe entre la imagen de la Arqueología de los profesionales y la imagen social es tratada a través de una treintena de películas analizando, igualmente, las consecuencias que en el mundo académico, educativo y profesional tienen este tipo de distorsiones. Finalmente, se propone una Arqueología "militante" basada en algunos postulados de la Teoría Crítica y el materialismo dialéctico como solución a este distanciamiento entre la Arqueología y la sociedad.

23 páxinas, 11 figuras., [GL] No contexto dos traballos arqueolóxicos previos á execución dunha obra (unha liña eléctrica de media tensión), localizáronse unhas lousas con gravados na zona de Fonte Tourón, en Lalín. Trátase dunhas lousas que presentan uns gravados de estilo propio do megalitismo e que agora forman parte dos lindes das fincas nas que se atopan. As características destes gravados, sumado á propia forma das pedras, a un contexto onde se localizan outras mámoas e sobre todo, á información dos veciños que vinculan estas pedras cunha mámoa desfeita fai uns anos, apuntan a que formaron parte dun monumento megalítico, e que moi probablemente se trata dos esteos dunha cámara., [EN] In an archaeological context before a works execution took place (an electric half tension line), some engraved gravestones were found around the area of Fonte Touron, Council of Lalín. These gravestones have engravings representative of megalithism and nowadays they became boundary markers of the yards in which they are. The features of the engravings, besides the very shape of the stones and the context where other mounds are located, and above everything, the information provided by local neighbors that relate the stones of this mound to one set apart some years ago, points that they were part of a megalithic monument, and it is highly probable that they were the orthostats of a chamber.

Professional (i.e. extra-academic) contract archaeology is an internationally widespread practice contributing significantly to the archaeology literature. However, professional knowledge production in archaeology, and most notably the professional report genre, is at times described as problematic. The problem descriptions are ambiguous and can be grouped under at least three different topics: concerns for content quality and practical accessibility, concerns for the comparably low degree of analytical and theoretical synthesizing in reports and concerns for lack of mutual knowledge transfer between academic archaeologists and professional archaeologists. Technical issues of access are to an increasing extent being solved. Format standardizations are also developing. Hence the report genre becomes more accessible, and the content more readable and informative. Yet articulations of attitudes toward the genre in archaeology text books and journal articles remain focused on the genre’s problems. The aim of my ongoing dissertation research is to nuance the understanding of the professional report genre in archaeology. I do so by analyzing factors shaping reporting as it takes place in the intersection between academic norms, professional values and market logics. I argue an improved genre understanding is crucial to diminish cultural issues of access to the report literature, and also as a basis for development of reporting practices. In the dissertation research I analyze (1) perceptions about the report genre in archaeology literature, (2) information policy regulating reporting in archaeology, (3) how report writers and county board professionals interpret the reporting and report auditing work tasks and (4) the frames of reference report writers bring into reporting. The aim of this paper is to explicate the research design consisting of four sub-studies, to briefly report on findings from study no. 4, and to discuss preliminary, partial results from study no. 2. Includes: Conference preprint, Powerpoint presentation, Abstract and Biographical notes XA International

This paper outlines the lack of reflection concerning professional Spanish archaeologists. We review the literature related to commercial archaeology and discuss the main achievements and demands of the sector, particularly the need of project labour agreements. The precarious nature of this work and the economics of this sector, bolstered by prevailing business practices in the rest of the market, bring about scientific and social consequences that contradict the main aims of archaeology. This article attempts to address this polymorphic phenomenon generated by the need to reconcile the protection of our cultural heritage and economic profitability. Este artículo expone la falta de reflexión en torno al trabajo de los arqueólogos profesionales españoles. Para ello se revisa la bibliografía relacionada con la arqueología profesional y se analizan los principales logros y reivindicaciones del sector, en especial la necesidad de convenios laborales. Se evidencia que la precariedad laboral y económica de este sector, amparada por las líneas empresariales imperantes en el resto del mercado, conlleva consecuencias científicas y sociales contradictorias con las propias metas de la arqueología. Se trata de un fenómeno polimórfico generado ante la necesidad de compaginar la protecci ón del Patrimonio Cultural con la rentabilidad económica.

In an archaeological context before a works execution took place (an electric half tension line), some engraved gravestones were found around the area of Fonte Touron, Council of Lalín. These gravestones have engravings representative of megalithism and nowadays they became boundary markers of the yards in which they are. The features of the engravings, besides the very shape of the stones and the context where other mounds are located, and above everything, the information provided by local neighbors that relate the stones of this mound to one set apart some years ago, points that they were part of a megalithic monument, and it is highly probable that they were the orthostats of a chamber. No contexto dos traballos arqueolóxicos previos á execución dunha obra (unha liña eléctrica de media tensión), localizáronse unhas lousas con gravados na zona de Fonte Tourón, en Lalín. Trátase dunhas lousas que presentan uns gravados de estilo propio do megalitismo e que agora forman parte dos lindes das fincas nas que se atopan. As características destes gravados, sumado á propia forma das pedras, a un contexto onde se localizan outras mámoas e sobre todo, á información dos veciños que vinculan estas pedras cunha mámoa desfeita fai uns anos, apuntan a que formaron parte dun monumento megalítico, e que moi probablemente se trata dos esteos dunha cámara.

The invitation in 2006 to participate in the EC Leonardo II-sponsored Discovering the Archaeologists of Europe project came a particularly opportune time for the Irish archaeological profession, almost six years after the foundation of the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland in 2001 and four years after completion the first two important Heritage Council sponsored reports entitled: The Future Demand for Archaeologists in Ireland. A report to the Heritage Council and the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland (CHL 2002a) and A Profile of the Archaeological Profession and Educational Resources in Ireland: A report to the Heritage Council and the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland. (CHL 2002b). These studies created the framework for two further important studies aimed at creating a training and continuing professional development framework for the Institute (Unpublished report 2004 and Aitcheson 2005). The DISCO project, as it became known, facilitated the profiling of professional activity in the summer of 2007 at the height of a very remarkable period in Irish archaeology. It reflects the profession’s response to very rapid and, as it has transpired finite, expansion in development-led archaeological excavation. Described in presentations of the DISCO survey results at conferences and seminars during 2008 as ‘peak archaeology’ in Ireland, it presents a very particular and remarkable set of data providing an indication of the scale and the profile of professional responses required to address a major period of infrastructure development coupled with an unusually buoyant economic climate and a related, construction industry ‘boom’. This remarkable and (as it will be seen historically) short-lived profile, displays a significant number of non-national archaeologists at work in Ireland at the time of the survey. It will undoubtedly inform other EU nation states faced with addressing the archaeological profession’s responses, at a national level, to the requirements of resourcing pre-development archaeology especially during periods of major infrastructure development projects. The results have already informed and will continue to inform a range of professional responses to the outcome of this intense period of excavation work. The Institute will also aim to conduct a further survey in 2012 and would hope that this can be achieved in the context of a trans-national project of this nature. Other funder Heritage Council, European Commission’s Leonardo II programme kpw6/8/13

Professional (i.e. extra-academic) contract archaeology is an internationally widespread practice contributing significantly to the archaeological literature. However, professional knowledge production in archaeology, and most notably the professional report genre, is at times described as problematic. The problem descriptions are ambiguous and can be grouped under at least three different topics: concerns for content quality and practical accessibility, concerns for the comparably low degree of analytical and theoretical synthesizing in reports and concerns for lack of mutual knowledge transfer between academic archaeologists and professional archaeologists. Technical issues of access are to an increasing extent being solved. Format standardizations are also developing. Hence the report genre becomes more accessible, and the content more readable and informative. Yet articulations of attitudes toward the genre in archaeology text books and journal articles remain focused on the genre’s problems. The aim of my ongoing dissertation research is to nuance the understanding of the professional report genre in archaeology. I do so by analyzing factors shaping reporting as it takes place in the intersection between academic norms, professional values and market logics. I argue an improved genre understanding is crucial to diminish cultural issues of access to the report literature, and also as a basis for development of reporting practices. In1the dissertation research I analyze (1) perceptions about the report genre in archaeology literature, (2) information policy regulating reporting in archaeology, (3) how report writers and county board professionals interpret the reporting and report auditing work tasks and (4) the frames of reference report writers bring into reporting. The aim of this paper is to explicate the research design consisting of four sub-studies, to briefly report on findings from study no. 4, and to discuss preliminary, partial results from study no. 2. ARKDIS