Archaeology is the study of the human past through materials remains, from the skeletons of the earliest humans and the monuments of ancient states, to the ephemeral debris of a modern refugee camp. More than a pursuit that feeds the public imagination with stories of discovery, archaeology produces resources that become cultural heritage - the past and present places, things, customs, and knowledge that people use to define who they are and their place in the world.
In this course, we will critically examine the relationship between archaeological research and cultural heritage. We will read a series of archaeological case studies to learn how scholars have studied, theorized, and disseminated their research. With each case study we will also analyze a variety of journalistic media, art, and public forums to identify the ways that different stakeholders - those who lay claim to, identify with, or are affected by archaeological resources - attach cultural, political, or economic value to the past. Through these activities we will explore how cultural heritage is produced and investigate the social issues surrounding why it is often appropriated, commodified, exploited, and destroyed. In so doing, we will consider the many ways archaeology and cultural heritage shape the modern world.