PRIVILEGING INDIGENOUS PLACE AND SUBVERTING THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE
Abstract
The almost total absence of Indigenous voices in debates surrounding the theoretical legitimacy of the concept of the archaeological site has, for decades, enabled its deployment as a colonialist tool that facilitates the erasing of Indigenous place. Despite surprisingly little agreement about the validity of the concept within archaeology—including critiques that it hampers rather than helps archaeological analyses—the concept remains an enduring disciplinary feature. By intentionally privileging Indigenous place, though, the concept of the archaeological site can be subverted in a way that counters colonialist narratives that obscure Indigenous histories while simultaneously enhancing archaeological analyses.
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