Open Address

Tuesday June 2nd 2020 was a day of solidarity around the world.

However we at Archaeologists Engage are aware that we must not show allyship on just one day, there must be a commitment in the international heritage sector, which facilitates access to the interpretation of history to do more, ongoing.

Yesterday we posted a statement about what we believed we could do to be better in our field of archaeology and cultural heritage. We wanted to share this on a more permanent platform with you all, as something of a mission statement.

As ARCHAEOLOGISTS and cultural heritage professionals we have a particular opportunity to bring about change in the narrative. We work internationally, across the world, cross-cultural and cross-disciplinary. We can help stop discrimination.

What can we do?

  • We can ensure diversity in our research institutions.
  • We can ensure diverse excavation teams.
  • We can be inclusive of community groups and indigenous communities when planning projects.
  • We can be inclusive of community groups and indigenous communities when planning projects.
  • We can amplify the voices of local archaeologists.
  • We can counter misinformation.
  • We can ENGAGE more with our communities.
  • We can ENGAGE more with our communities.
  • We can acknowledge the politicisation of our work.
  • We can become involved in education programmes.
  • We can highlight and work with charities to provide access to heritage and about heritage to minority or disadvantaged communities.
  • We can highlight misinterpretation in past work.
  • We can call out problems.
  • We can tell the stories that need telling.
  • We can empower individuals.
  • We can empower communities.

As educators, researchers, institutions, cultural centres, community activists, volunteers, professionals…..

  • We can do more
  • We can make discrimination out of date

#makediscriminationoutofdate

Thank you for reading and engaging!

Dr Tathagata Neogi, Dr Belinda Tibbetts, Linn Marie Krogsrud, Emily Wapshott

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