Ethics in Archaeological Practice

Abstract

Ethics in archaeological practice? Archaeological ethics? These are big questions. Perhaps you worry that it might be too complicated, or threatening – or worse, that it is all just theory? Ethics really aren’t complicated, and they absolutely aren’t theoretical, and if a practitioner has some self-awareness, then ethics doesn’t need to be at all threatening. In fact, ethics are an everyday part of every archaeologist’s life and professional practice. It’s just that many of us haven’t always looked at what we do, and why we do it, with enough self-reflection to realise this. Another misconception is that ethics vary. Not so much. The details of any ethical question will vary, but the foundations of an answer, and the methods for reaching and agreeing a solution, are applicable to archaeologists of all specialisms in the conduct of their work. Ethics applies to everyone – excavator, geophysicist, university lecturer, museum conservator, local government officer or national heritage agency caseworker. This paper sets out an overview of ethics in archaeology, before considering some case studies.