Postcolonial Archaeologies in Africa: Breaking the Silence |
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Authors: | Karega-Munene Peter Schmidt |
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Institution: | (1) Department of History, United States International University, Nairobi, Kenya;(2) Department of Anthropology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA |
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Abstract: | Postcolonial archaeologies in Africa are engaged in a variety of agendas including the decolonization of everyday practices
in the field and in the classroom. Postcolonial theory, concerned with issues of power and the Other, is increasingly being
invoked to examine how archaeologists conduct their field research and how archaeology is used to dismantle essentialized
histories—the metanarratives that arose in the colonial as well as the postcolonial era. Easily misunderstood, however, is
the passion expressed by some African archaeologists who are voicing their own views while simultaneously trying to free themselves
from dominating “expert” voices. These occurrences create tensions in archaeological discourse that are a natural part of
decolonizing archaeology, joining other forms of disenchantment, particularly the disenchantments arising in contemporary
African communities about social services, civil society, and human rights. Archaeologists are also implicated in disenchantments
as they conduct investigations in the midst of people who may be without water or are suffering from HIV/AIDS—conditions that
starkly contrast with their own comfortable lives. We may also need to reconsider how to deal with states that see archaeological
research as contrary to nation building. This essay responds to some current misunderstandings that have arisen over these
and related issues. |
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