The Department of History, Philosophy and Religious Studies has announced their April colloquium, "Looting, Repatriation, Ethnic Violence, and Development: A Discussion of Ethics in American Archaeology." Dru McGill, a doctoral candidate at Indiana University, Bloomington, will give the presentation on Friday, April 17, at 3 p.m. in the Memorial Union Arikara room. The event is free and open to the public.
Professional ethics are a major component of contemporary archaeological discourse, training and practice due to factors including the flourishing of the illicit antiquities market, the rise of the repatriation movement, the boom of archaeology in the public sector and the implication of archaeological heritages in surges of ethnic violence and armed conflict. The presentation will discuss some of the unique ethical issues facing archaeologists today and what archaeologists are doing to address these dilemmas. Case studies, based on real events in the discipline of archaeology, will be presented and discussed with the audience.
McGill studies archaeological ethics, cultural property law, the culture of collecting and late-prehistoric cultures of Indiana. He co-wrote "Ethics in Action: Case Studies in Archaeological Dilemmas" and is the organizer of the Society for American Archaeology Ethics Bowl, a debate-style event for archaeology students.
For more information, contact Dennis Cooley, assistant professor of history, philosophy and religious studies, at 1-7038.
April 7, 2009