Convenors:
Dr Samuel Dix, Archaeology, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Biosis Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia
Dr Daryl Wesley, Archaeology, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
This Theme draws together scholars, practitioners, and Indigenous leaders to engage in critical dialogue about the future of archaeology and heritage. The past, present and future are inextricably entwined with heritage, whether it’s over issues of what heritage means, how it’s valued, how best to interact with it, or how it should be cared for. The various dimensions of the practice of heritage and heritage management in the present, however, also intersect with deeply embedded economic and political interests that raise critical questions of ethical accountability, complicity, responsibility, and sovereignty.
By centring Indigenous knowledges and ethics, confronting colonial legacies, questioning the extractive basis of much heritage work, and exploring alternative frameworks for practice, this Theme aims to push the discipline toward greater accountability and transformative change. Through cross-cultural and interdisciplinary discussions it hopes to forge meaningful global connections and inspire actionable steps toward a more just and equitable archaeology.
Discussions will include how heritage places and objects contribute to social cohesion, individual and community social and cultural wellbeing, therapeutic practice, knowledge exchange, and new forms of engagement. Perhaps more importantly, however, it seeks to explore the role of archaeology and archaeologists in charting alternative pathways to new and different futures.
Contacts:
Dr Samuel Dix
Archaeology, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; Biosis Pty Ltd, Melbourne, Australia sdix@biosis.com.au; samuel.dix@flinders.edu.au
Dr Daryl Wesley, Archaeology
Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia daryl.wesley@flinders.eduau
THEME 17 SESSIONS
T17/Session 02: Indigenous Archaeologies in the Global South
T17/Session 03: Archaeology and Extractivism
T17/Session 04: Preserving Heritage: Strategies for Sustainable Management and Economic Valuation
T17/Session 07: From Relics to Vision: The Role of Museums in Shaping Cultural Futures
T17/Session 08: Wellbeing Archaeology and the AMPHORA Guidelines
T17/Session 09: Culture Positive: Changing the Language of Global Cultural Heritage Management
T17/Session 10: Indigenous and Anarchist Futures in Archaeology and Heritage