Archaeological Sites and Local Sites: Connecting the Dots
In order to carry out archaeological ethnography and to undertake collaborative community-based archaeology, we must find ways to talk across the boundaries that have historically arisen between archaeologists and local residents in Greece. These boundaries are the direct result of the ways Greek archaeology has been historically practiced, ways that have separated sites from those who live near them, have restricted who controls and who speaks for the sites, and have privileged certain temporal and material phenomena over others. In this atmosphere, local residents have often developed counter-sites and counter-discourses on the past on their own, as well as a profound indifference to many sites valued by archaeologists, which they view as unconnected to themselves. They are also often baffled, wary, and uncertain when approached by archaeologists who now say they want to include local voices in their projects. This paper will identify and explore the obstacles to collaborative discussion that must be overcome in order to find common ground.
