Beyond identity : the socio-economic impacts of archaeology on a non-descendant community in Sudan
The impact of 'global' archaeology on 'local' communities that live upon or beside archaeological sites is a question of great importance and an emerging topic in archaeological discourse. The studies that have taken place so far have focused mostly on how archaeology is used in the construction of identity in 'descendant' communities, that is, communities which claim an ancestral link to the ancient inhabitants of the archaeological sites. However, these studies have tended to sideline the many 'non-descendant' communities that exist across the world and who are equally subject to the archaeological phenomenon; they have also largely neglected to consider archaeology's not inconsiderable socio-economic impacts. Using a range of investigatory models and analytical frameworks, this study therefore seeks to go 'beyond identity' to illuminate the impacts of archaeology on local communities through an ethnographic case-study of a non-descendant community living amid ancient 'Nubian' archaeological sites in Sudan's Nile Valley. In doing so it contributes to the relatively new field of archaeological ethnography, as spearheaded by scholars such as Meskell (2005) and Hamilakis (2011). The study finds that although
Bradshaw, Rebecca
Beyond identity : the socio-economic impacts of archaeology on a non-descendant community in Sudan. The impact of 'global' archaeology on 'local' communities that live upon or beside archaeological sites is a question of great importance and an emerging topic in archaeological discourse. The studies that have taken place so far have focused mostly on how archaeology is used in the construction of identity in 'descendant' communities, that is, communities which claim an ancestral link to the ancient inhabitants of the archaeological sites. However, these studies have tended to sideline the many 'non-descendant' communities that exist across the world and who are equally subject to the archaeological phenomenon; they have also largely neglected to consider archaeology's not inconsiderable socio-economic impacts. Using a range of investigatory models and analytical frameworks, this study therefore seeks to go 'beyond identity' to illuminate the impacts of archaeology on local communities through an ethnographic case-study of a non-descendant community living amid ancient 'Nubian' archaeological sites in Sudan's Nile Valley. In doing so it contributes to the relatively new field of archaeological ethnography, as spearheaded by scholars such as Meskell (2005) and Hamilakis (2011). The study finds that although
beyond identity socio_economic impact archaeology non descendant community sudan impact global archaeology local_community live upon beside archaeological_site question great_importance emerge topic archaeological_discourse study take_place far focus mostly archaeology use construction_identity descendant community community claim ancestral link ancient inhabitant archaeological_site however study tend sideline many non descendant community exist across_world equally subject archaeological phenomenon also largely_neglected consider archaeology socio_economic impact using range model analytical_framework study_therefore seek beyond identity illuminate impact archaeology local_community ethnographic case study non descendant community living amid ancient nubian archaeological_site sudan nile_valley contribute relatively_new field archaeological ethnography spearhead scholar study find although