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Mediating Nationalism and Archaeology: A Matter of Trust?
Author(s) -
Scham Sandra A.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
american anthropologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.51
H-Index - 85
eISSN - 1548-1433
pISSN - 0002-7294
DOI - 10.1525/aa.1998.100.2.301
Subject(s) - property (philosophy) , argument (complex analysis) , nationalism , work (physics) , value (mathematics) , cultural property , sociology , law and economics , law , archaeology , history , political science , epistemology , cultural heritage , philosophy , engineering , computer science , politics , mechanical engineering , chemistry , biochemistry , machine learning
Recognizing that the past is a property of value, archaeologists have traditionally presented themselves as “trustees” of that property. Yet they have in fact become contractors who try to divorce themselves from the consequences of their work. The two roles are very different, and there is much to be gained from re‐creating the idea of archaeological trusteeship. A trustee is a disinterested protector of property for the beneficiaries; a contractor is responsible only to the signatories to the contract and has no impartial obligations. Recognizing the distinction is crucial to the argument that archaeologists can “make a difference” in how cultural property is negotiated.