Quitting my archaeological job as a political deed.
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2017-04-22

In 2010 the interim manager of the archaeological company (part of the university) I worked at told me knowledge is not important. For me this was the point of no return and I quit my job. Of course I could have looked for a new job in archaeology but the way contract archaeology is organised and politicized made me choose a different path. In this paper I will explain how the way archaeology is organized is political. At a certain point we have to ask ourselves do I want this type of organization, can I change it, or do I need to take a different action? How far do you want to go just so you can make a living in the profession you love?

I will give a Dutch perspective, but the issues have relevance outside of Dutch archaeology. The idea that theory has no place in policy making is persistent, especially in neoliberal contexts. This has led to an approach where management has become a shallow checking off of easy measurable parametres, integrated into policies on contract archaeology. Archaeology is used as a lubricant in the process of redevelopment. But in my opinion archaeology is not a lubricant; archaeology should be a critical tool to look at others and ourselves. My involvement in contemporary archaeology and art has opened up new paths to embrace the political in archaeology. 

Marjolijn Kok, Bureau Archeologie en Toekomst, Netherlands