ANTH 3150 Public Archaeology - SWEENY: Home

You will write a 2-3 page paper on one of the following topics. 

Option 1.  Using multiple and specific examples, how is archaeology represented in the media? (e.g., social media, print media, television, film, exhibitions, video games) Does it seem that education is the goal, or is it more about entertainment?

Option 2.  What public archaeology issues were raised by the African Burial Ground project in New York City?

Option 3.  Explore the websites for James Madison’s Montpelier at https://www.montpelier.org/ and address the following: is it appropriate or desirable for non-professional archaeologists to take part in the various recovery processes involved in archaeological excavations?

Option 4.  Indigenous people’s opinions of archaeological evidence claims (e.g., relating to when people came to the Americas, or relating to genetic patterning) are often negative. Why does this disconnect sometimes exist?

Option 5: Watch the award-winning documentary film Saving Mes Aynak (2014) by filmmaker Brent E. Huffman at Netflix (we are also seeing this film in class on 10/9). What public archaeology issues are related to the recent story of this site near Kabul, Afghanistan? What are the competing interests over the location of this site? Find some recent news about the site. What international heritage laws might help in this situation?