The 2016 Anarchaeology Workshop is upon us. For the next 48 hours (4/21 through 4/22/2016), archaeologists, anarchy theorists, and others will converge upon the Amerind Foundation for an series of workshops dedicated to exploring the ways anarchy theory can be used to better understand past times that have not been adequately investigated.
You can participate in this unconference via social media by using the hastag #anarchaeology2016. Stay tuned on Instagram, twitter, and facebook for updates.
Anarchy Theory and CRM
After hearing about the amazing cast of characters participating in the Anarchaeology Workshop series, it made me think about the reasons why I got into archaeology and how they had strong roots in anarchy theory. From what I understand, anarchy theory centers on the idea that governments are inherently oppressive, unnecessary, and unconducive for human society. Anarchists do not believe we should get rid of human or property rights, but that these rights can be upheld without a government. They believe governments pretty much exist to uphold the high status of elites at the expense of the environment and the rest of humanity (NOTE: I’m not an anarchy theorist so if I’m not getting this right please comment below and set the record straight.)
My teenage years were punctuated by the belief that the government was the enemy. This went beyond listening to MDC, Rage against the Machine, and Public Enemy. As a working-class black kid growing up in Idaho, I directly experienced “the long arm of the law” and saw the way kids from families with money were able to do more and get out of trouble easier than youths without resources. I watched the government collude with corporate interests to “develop” southern Idaho at the expense of the environment and the public good. This is still happening today.
Aside from wanting to become an archaeologist, one of the reasons I gladly pursued an education in anthropology was because of my interest in social justice and desire to expose “the system” for what it was. Studying Foucault, Durkheim, Baudrillard, Gramsci, Marx, and other social theorists gave me a unique perspective on society. Growing up in libertarian-leaning Idaho was enough to push me even further. Most Real Idahoans sincerely believe an autocratic government will eventually arise and, one day, it will come to take away our civil liberties. It is every citizen’s duty to prevent this from happening. I can’t tell you how many people I know in Idaho maintain a stockpile of guns, ammo, petroleum, and food for the day when the government comes to take their freedom away. Seriously! This is how I grew up.
I was drawn toward African American and historical archaeology because of the potential these subfields have to subvert the historical narratives we hold today. Our entire racial paradigms were created to allow elites to exploit poor Americans, both black and white. Racial differences drive a wedge between the lower classes that prevents them from joining forces and advocating for change. This is still happening. Archaeology has the potential to demonstrate a class-based commonality in our society that transcends race and has existed throughout time. Illustrating that is the focus of my PhD work.
In some ways, the existence of cultural resource management is loosely rooted in anarchist theory. The idea that the environment and human heritage should be allowed to exist despite the capitalist drive to appropriate resources from the Commons is rooted in a philosophy that some things are owned by the entire society. Archaeological resources are one of those things. Historic preservation law allows local communities to determine what is and is not significant for their heritage and, through the deployment of CRMers, archaeological sites and historic properties are recommended eligible for preservation at the local level. While these laws are rooted in the same government that anarchists believe should be abandoned, historic properties, districts, and archaeological sites are managed at the local level for local communities.
Archaeology as practiced by cultural resource management companies is a variant on the old processual archaeology pioneered during the 1960s. In her 2003 American Antiquity article” Setting Theoretical Egos Aside: Issues and Theory in North American Archaeology,” Michelle Hegmon acknowledges all the popular variants of archaeology in North America should really be categorized as “processual-plus.” She explains that current archaeology draws upon a wide variety of theoretical approaches to address a common cause—increasing our understanding of human pasts.
Under this definition, current archaeology takes processualism one step further. Postprocessual analyses diverge from the core of archaeological practice in an attempt to address issues of history that are relevant to a specific segment of society. For example, African American archaeology uses processual archaeological method and theory as a foundation for exploring what life was life for black people in the past. This forces archaeologists of the African Diaspora in North America to draw upon concepts that originated in law, anthropology, medicine, sociology, history, and a range of other disciplines. Processualism-plus moves beyond middle range theory and ventures into postprocessual theoretical constructs in an attempt to craft a deeper, more relatable interpretation of the past.
Cultural resource management archaeology is basically modern processual archaeology, but, from time to time, industry practitioners do get the opportunity to wade into postprocessual waters. The attempt to go beyond simply understanding past processes, in many ways, rejects the legitimacy of a “right” way to do archaeology. Postprocessualism is a form of anarchy against the field that has deepened our understanding of the past. The “Results” section of major CRM reports and project research designs are the main opportunities CRMers have to stray from simple compliance and try to address human pasts in a more meaningful way. Seizing this opportunity is how we can insert veiled versions of anarchy theory into our work.
The truth is: CRM Archaeology is not anarchist….but that doesn’t mean it should not try to be
The Amerind workshops will probably result in a new mélange of postprocessual archaeology infused with an anarchist tint, but, as currently practiced in the United States, there is no way to divorce the field away from governmentality. Our historic properties are valuable to local societies but their legitimacy is derived from a governmental system that tells us what is significant. This is exactly what Native American tribes are fighting against.
Archaeology’s true power lies in its ability to inform people in the present about what happened in the past. This has the potential to deconstruct and even destroy narratives that maintain the class-based status quo. Even the archaeology practiced under governmental rubrics has the potential to fuel anarchist theories of how human societies should be managed. This inherent strength is more than enough for a happy marriage between anarchy theory and historic preservation.
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This is post is important as it suggests a remarkable cross-over – CRM and anarchy – that I had not anticipated. As one of the co-organizers of the Anarchy and Archaeology symposium, I have to admit that CRM was a bit off of my radar, but your points are well taken and I will have to recalibrate my initial thoughts. Thanks!