Building Futures, Saving Pasts: Archaeology in a Neoliberal World - Larry Coben

Wednesday, December 7, 2016
12:00 p.m., Tozzer 203
Harvard University
 

Archaeological sites are disappearing at a rapidly accelerating rate. While destruction by ISIS gets all the press, the primary causes of cultural heritage loss are economic: commercial and residential development and encroachment, mining, energy, agriculture and looting to name a few. If the source of the problem is economic, so must the solutions be. Many sites at risk are located in communities at risk. The best way to preserve our past is by giving these communities the tools they need to thrive, and in particular to focus on empowering women. I describe why programs incorporating empowerment and sustainable community development actually work, and provide some case studies. These programs allow communities to build their futures and save their pasts.