The Responsibilities of Archaeologists

The idea that archaeologists are representatives or stewards' of the archaeological record does not do justice to the complex practical decisions archaeologists often have to make, and the political and moral dilemmas they face everyday. This collection of papers seeks to move beyond the 2 big issues which tend to dominate any discussion of ethics in archaeology (namely indigenous issues' and artefacts in the art market') to reveal the complexities of ordinary archaeological practice. These papers attempt to articulate the problems that archaeologists deal with as they negotiate the plurality of interests of people from the past, the present and the future to whom they may consider they have a duty or responsibility.