Når arkeologi møter lokal kunnskap – etiske implikasjoner

Abstract

Archaeologists produce and communicate authorized stories concerning cultural heritage and the past. Their legitimacy is based on education, scientific methods and their connection with a research community. Their position as authorized producers of history is also emphasized by TV programmes presenting archaeologists as riddle-solving detectives. The main aim of this article is to focus on the dynamics between stories communicated by archaeologists and the stories pass- ed on and communicated by members of a local community, and to discuss these. What happens when stories based on tradition and lore meet authorized stories? The latter sometimes overwrite or erase local lore and knowledge connected to features in the landscape. Some archaeological projects have, however, involved local participants and locally based knowledge. In addition, one should be aware that local and traditional knowledge are sometimes kept and transmitted within a family, local community or ethnic group. Local knowledge is therefore not always a resource that is accessible for archaeologists.

Vår felles fortid: Bærekraftig kulturarv og Fotefar mot nord

“…Lokale historier om fortida, der disse finnes, kan f.eks. forsvinne eller endres i møte med akademiske framstillinger av kunnskapsstatus (Myrvoll 2010). Det er derfor viktig å forstå den lokale diskursen om fortida og søke å integrere lokale og akademiske fortellinger (Nilsen 2003:386-387), noe som også er en hjørnestein i public eller community archaeology.…”