Degrowth and a sustainable future for archaeology

Abstract

It is increasingly acknowledged that 21st-century archaeology faces serious challenges from a variety of directions, ranging from the theoretical to the practical. Above all, the discipline’s entanglement with capitalism, capitalist ideologies and capitalist institutions is simply unsustainable. The concept of degrowth involves a reconceptualization of archaeology’s possible future(s) in terms of a withdrawal from capitalism and an emphasis on collective and caring praxis looking towards both a sustainable future and the possibilities of the immediate present. A degrowth approach to archaeology can provide a useful supplement to existing critiques and proposed alternatives to current practices. Degrowth proposals such as reorienting economic behaviours towards cooperative, convivial and dépense (communal use of surplus) activities while freeing people to pursue work they find meaningful have potential applications in archaeological practice that address some of the problems currently facing the discipline.

Digitally Recording Excavations on a Budget: A (Low-Cost) DIY Approach from Scotland

“…Quality recording and on-site intellectual reflection are also values shared with "good archaeology" (Ellis 2016, 69) to which digital recording can positively contribute. Could digital recording not also contribute to such movements, including "degrowth archaeology" (Flexner 2020), by potentially "slowing down" or "destressing" some aspects of the excavation process?…”

Paper, Perception and…Facts? Exploring Archaeological Heritage Management in the Mediterranean and the Weight of Public Archaeology

“…With such a dynamic and varied discipline as archaeology is, trying to define the "traditional" is problematic and usually leads to misunderstandings. The coming critique does not mean that we should stop excavating, for much I support the increasing call for degrowth (Flexner 2020;Zorzin 2021), but that we need to reconsider priorities and pay attention to the present and the future of our discipline within a progressively more demanding society. The aforementioned idea of public archaeology as a critical theory of archaeology plays an essential role in this sense.…”

Value from Development-Led Archaeology in the UK: Advancing the Narrative to Reflect Societal Changes

“…We propose this fully aware that many archaeologists find the notion of a closer relationship perturbing, having been nominally sub-contracted to construction projects for 30 years, often frustrated at the lack of influence over the sector. This burgeoning relationship has run in parallel with an ethics-led rejection of the reality of the current situation despite maintaining and participating in the business models that enable it (for some previous and recent discussions, see [2,4,[31][32][33][34]).…”