Organiser(s); Kate Geary, IfA (Kate.Geary [at] archaeologists.net) and Tara-Jane Sutcliffe, CBA (tara-janesutcliffe [at] britarch.ac.uk)
As archaeologists, we know that archaeology has an impact – and a benefit - beyond an increased understanding of aspects of the past. But how do we demonstrate that impact to the wider world?
The rise of community archaeology has led to archaeologists working with an ever more diverse range of individuals and groups across the UK and beyond. In many cases, the ‘point’ of this work goes way beyond archaeological investigation into the realms of social inclusion, integration and rehabilitation. Its impact on the lives of those involved is much greater than the discovery of material remains or evidence of past communities.
This session is about the practice of archaeology, not its results. It will explore what it is about archaeology that makes it such a good tool for reaching out to different audiences who might otherwise be classed as difficult, excluded or peripheral. Above all, it is about the impact of archaeology on lives and how that impact can be demonstrated.
