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Teaching Archaeological Pasts in South Africa: Historical and Contemporary Considerations of Archaeological Education

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Abstract

This paper discusses the history and trending of archaeological education in South Africa, a set of frameworks wherein primary and secondary level students instrumentalize archaeology to investigate and debate their pasts. Archaeological education has existed thus far as a conversation among archaeologists and a footnote in the national curriculum. I present the first cohesive treatment of these projects. I examine attendant conflicts and obstacles, drawn partly from my involvement in two South African projects but illustrating issues that I believe have global resonance. I submit that archaeological education entails engagements that hold serious ramifications for archaeological ethics, practice, and epistemology.

Résumé

Cette article discute l’histoire et les tendances de l’enseignement de l’archéologie en Afrique du Sud, ainsi qu’un nombre de cadres au sein desquels les élèves du primaire et du secondaire utilisent l’archéologie comme un outil pour découvrir et débattre de leur passé. Jusqu’à présent, l’enseignement de l’archéologie n’a fait l’objet de discussions qu’entre archéologues et n’a constitué qu’un point tout à fait marginal dans les programmes d’enseignement nationaux. Je présente ici le premier traitement systématique de ces projets. J’examine les conflits et les obstacles relatifs à ces projets, tirés en partie de mon engagement personnel au sein de deux programmes sud-africains spécifiques, mais qui, je pense, illustrent des problèmes existant à l’échelle mondiale. J’avance que l’enseignement de l’archéologie a des implications en termes d’engagement qui ont des ramifications sérieuses pour l’éthique, la pratique, et l’épistémologie de la discipline.

Resumen

El presente documento trata de la historia y tendencias de la educación arqueológica en Sudáfrica, un conjunto de marcos en los que los estudiantes de nivel primario y secundario instrumentalizan la arqueología para investigar y debatir sus pasados. La educación arqueológica ha existido hasta ahora como una conversación entre arqueólogos y como una nota a pie de página en el plan de estudios nacional. Presento el primer tratamiento cohesivo de estos proyectos. Examino los conflictos y obstáculos que conlleva, extraídos parcialmente de mi implicación en dos proyectos sudafricanos pero ilustrando cuestiones que creo que tienen una resonancia mundial. Sostengo que la educación arqueológica conlleva compromisos que poseen serias ramificaciones para la ética, la práctica y la epistemología arqueológicas.

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Acknowledgements

I thank the following people for their support during this research: Amanda Esterhuysen, John Parkington and the Parkington family, Lynn Meskell, Peter Mitchell, Thembi Russell, Ben Smith, Sibongile Masuku Van Damme, Lindie Melle and her family, David Van der Westhuizen, May Basson, Denise Fransman, Liezel Hofman, Melissa Kleinsmith, Thurston September, Dierdre Swart, Edgar Neluvhalani, Paballo Mohafa, Tshimangadzo Nemaheni, Gideon Mkwena, Cedric Sethlako, Alie Hanyani Chauke, Antonia Bezuidenhout, and, most importantly, the students of Augsburg Landbougimnasium, Clanwilliam Sekonder, Elizabethfontein Primary, Malamulele, Nngweni, Neluwane, Nethononda, and Tshifena Schools. Thanks also to two anonymous reviewers of this article for their comments. This research was made possible through funding from the Stanford University Department of Anthropology, the Haas Center for Public Service, and a Clarendon Scholarship from Oxford University.

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    Rachel King

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King, R. Teaching Archaeological Pasts in South Africa: Historical and Contemporary Considerations of Archaeological Education. Arch 8, 85–115 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11759-012-9202-3

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