Applied archaeology: Actively engaging in process archaeology
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 2023-09-01

Stefanie Langaa (Museum Southeast Denmark/University of Copenhagen)

Social activism in archaeology is not only about verbalizing ongoing matters such as racism, climate change, religion etc, although these are all important and highly relevant subjects. Social activism can also relate to more theoretical questions. In my research, I aim to discuss what makes archaeology relevant to Danish society focusing on development-led archaeology. During the previous decade, rapid urban development has placed exceeding pressure on Danish development-led archaeology, which has resulted in a mechanisation of our practice. We are being confronted with questions regarding our contribution to Danish society as opposed to the financial expenses entailed by archaeological excavations. At Køge Nord, an area on Zealand currently undergoing large-scale urban transformation, I argue how the process of archaeology might in fact be what makes archaeology valuable to society. I will discuss how actively engaging in theoretical approaches such as process archaeology and applied methods through citizen science studies, might help to conceptualize the societal significance of archaeology.