Persisting with changes, the theme and motto of the 30th EAA Annual Meeting in Rome, succinctly expresses a fundamental role of archaeology: linking past and contemporary society.
Archaeology in the 2020s is continuing to demonstrate its capacity for supporting sustainable and durable development, improving quality of life and building a more peaceful and democratic society, while also carrying out its responsibilities for curating cultural heritage for present and future generations.
This 2024 Rome Statement presents EAAâs position on the role of archaeology in society and the social responsibility of archaeologists, focussing on aspects that deliver more equitable, peaceful, healthy and resilient societies better connected with their cultural heritage. This position aligns with the Council of Europeâs 2005 Faro Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society and the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. These recognise the essential role of cultural heritage, which is featured most prominently in Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11.4, namely to âStrengthen efforts to protect and safeguard the worldâs cultural and natural heritageâ. Other SDGs refer to the role of culture for education (SDG 4.7), economic growth and sustainable consumption and production patterns (SDGs 8.9 and 12.8b), climate action (SDG 13), inclusive and peaceful societies (SDG 16) and gender equality (SDG 5).
This EAA statement on the role of archaeology in contemporary society reflects the ideal to which all archaeological practice should aspire. We state that:
- Archaeologists are accountable to society. This not only includes ensuring that archaeological activity at all levels is responsible, transparent and open to the public, but also encompasses the wider concepts of âcommunity accountabilityâ and âactive accountabilityâ. These require cooperation between society and archaeologists placing archaeology and impacted communities on equal footings, with archaeological activity being co-designed and co-produced between people, communities and archaeologists, with the shared ultimate aim of caring for cultural heritage.
- Archaeologists, in all the various fields where they engage with the public, curate, interpret and present their work to make archaeology relevant and beneficial to wider society, improve health and wellbeing, contribute to other academic disciplines and increase public support for the responsible care of cultural heritage and archaeological information for future generations.
- Archaeological research and practice, through its theoretical, philosophical and methodological frameworks, seeks to promote social justice and social cohesion, to reduce political, ideological and identity discrimination, and to challenge marginalisation and exploitation. This at a time when the world is experiencing a succession of crises that are exacerbating inequality and inequity.
- Archaeologists recognise the value of material remains and practise ethical treatment of material remains, including human remains. These are treated with care, respect, discretion and dignity, regardless of their origin, taking into account their context and respecting applicable laws, regulations and local culture. Archaeology rejects any form of looting, criminal excavation and collection because of the damage caused by decontextualising archaeological artefacts; it also rejects activity whose primary aim is financial gain. Archaeologists defend the interests of different groups and communities of place, interest, ethnicity, belief, gender or other aspects of identity who are associated with or impacted by archaeology, including by seeking and offering different and diverse perspectives on archaeological work.
- Archaeology has proven capacity to educate and inspire, which is valuable to society. Academic teaching and training are based on solid scientific and ethical principles that encourage critical analysis, creative thinking, problem solving, clear communication, collaborative working and interdisciplinarity. Public outreach accurately shares archaeological evidence and the work of archaeologists to engage, inform and inspire while avoiding nurturing misconceptions, stereotypes, obsolete language or ideas, and closed or narrow-minded thinking.
- Archaeologists study diverse societies that are chronologically and/or geographically set apart from our own and so requires our multicultural society to look at diversity as a valuable resource. Full understanding of the archaeological record in all its diversity is the key to understanding how human societies have changed through time, which is itself key to understanding how the goal of peaceful and stable societies can be achieved, founded on respect for human rights, intellectual and academic freedom, democracy, cultural diversity and the rule of law.
The EAA requires Members to promote these values in all their archaeological practice and support the Association by undertaking actions aimed at increasing the societal value of archaeology, public participation in archaeology, and the dissemination of an inclusive archaeological culture.