World Archaeology

Uses and abuses of science in archaeology

Science, whether involving the application of scientific techniques, quantitative methods, or a mix of both, pervades every area of archaeology. Archaeology has long drawn on the natural sciences, humanities and social sciences. In 1959, C. P. Snow gave his famous 'The Two Cultures' lecture, lamenting the separation of the humanities from the sciences. Meanwhile, the rise of the New Archaeology in the 1960s popularised archaeology as a science. Laboratories dedicated to the application of scientific methods in archaeology were established at major universities and museums. The development of radiocarbon dating and advances in fields such as isotope geochemistry provided unique possibilities to determine when past events happened, identify raw material sources, and reconstruct trade and exchange patterns, diets, and past environments. Advances in genomics and other biomolecular approaches have created further possibilities for the study of the past.

The application of science to archaeology, however, is not without its issues. The deep-time legacies of imperial and colonial archaeologies advantage the Global North. Many scientific techniques are expensive, and access to laboratories, funding and training is uneven within and between countries, including across Africa, Latin America and Asia. Sometimes, this promotes parachute science where those based in well-resourced countries extract samples with little investment in local expertise and infrastructure. These practices also raise questions about who defines research priorities, controls samples and data, and benefits from the results. But at the same time, archaeological science addresses fundamental questions related to global challenges such as climate change, food security, biodiversity conservation and heritage conservation.

We welcome submissions that explore the uses and abuses of science in archaeology, from different parts of the world. We are particularly interested in contributions that consider some of the following:

• Scientific interpretation, uncertainty and misuse
• Science, archaeology, and global challenges
• Ethics and co-production in archaeological science
• Inequalities in access to science
• Pseudoscience and archaeology
• Fakes, authentication and science in archaeology
• Social media, technology, science and archaeology
• Uses and abuses in the history of archaeological theory, method and practice

Contributions should explore how the use or misuse of science in archaeology advances or limits the study of the past, and how equitable, collaborative research can benefit present and future societies.