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Periodical article Periodical article Leiden University catalogue Leiden University catalogue WorldCat catalogue WorldCat
Title:Archaeology and the Public in Senegal: Reflections on Doing Fieldwork at Home
Author:Thiaw, IbrahimaISNI
Year:2003
Periodical:Journal of African Archaeology
Volume:1
Issue:2
Pages:215-225
Language:English
Geographic term:Senegal
Subjects:archaeology
Anthropology and Archaeology
External link:https://www.jstor.org/stable/43135322
Abstract:Over its century and a half presence in Senegal, archaeology has operated mainly inside the academia and outside local notions of history and cultural heritage. Archaeologists are conceived of as primarily concerned with unclaimed, useless fragmentary artefacts, buildings, dead bodies, and space, and little effort has been made over the years to explain to the Senegalese people what archaeology does and why. In examining the nature of the encounter between archaeologists and the people, this paper explores how past and present fieldwork practices have shaped how archaeology is perceived locally. The paper is born out of the author's recent interest in the historical archaeology of Gorée Island where, in contrast to prehistoric and protohistoric archaeology, the archaeological past can be claimed and contested locally. The paper seeks to liberate archaeology from the tutelage of history for a more fruitful, supplemental collaboration that cross-checks different sources of knowledge, taking into account the possibilities and limits inherent to each. The paper is also a call for the demystification of public views on archaeology through greater public outreach programmes to raise awareness about Senegal's archaeological heritage. Bibliogr., sum. in English and French. [ASC Leiden abstract]
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