Shallow Pasts, Endless Horizons: Sustainability & Archaeology

Abstract

The 48th Annual Chacmool Conference explored the concept of sustainability from an archaeological perspective. Sustainability can be broadly defined as the way in which people or communities remain diverse, yet productive while maintaining an ecological balance. As public awareness increases in response to the ramifications of modern landuse and its ecological impact, sustainable practices that probe potential strategies for alleviating current pressures have emerged in a number of disciplines including archaeology. The archaeology of sustainability has the potential to transcend geographical and temporal boundaries through a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach. This is especially true considering that archaeology has the advantage of providing both diachronic and synchronic snapshots of the past which may serve as precedents of sustainable living in modern times. Another important development has been the use of sustainable methods in archaeological research which allow researchers to extract an increasing amount of information from a range of digital and less destructive tecniques. Also emerging from the concept of sustainability in archaeology is a reflexive gaze upon the discipline itself. It would seem as though public and community engagement as well as Indigenous archaeologies provide some of the solutions in creating a sustainable archaeology, now and in the future. The papers in Part I and II of these proceedings touch upon the aforementioned sub-themes of sustainability in archaeology. Additionally, the papers in Part III are included in recognition of the late Jane Holden Kelley, her various contributions in archaeology and anthropology, and most importantly, on the positive influence she had on generations of people who had come to know her. It is hoped that the entirety of this volume contributes to the growing dialogue regarding sustainability and archaeology.