Abstract
The labelling and categorization of archaeological sites have consequences for the interpretation and subsequent research completed. As such, we as archaeologists must always be vigilant regarding the unintended consequences of labels we attach, or choose to omit, from official site information. These problems become compounded when governmental control codifies existing archaeological conventions and renders them rigid and difficult to change. Using the current archaeological registration database information for Brant County, Ontario, Canada, this paper demonstrates how imaginary pasts are created through archaeological convention and governmental codification and the consequences of these uncontested actions.
Résumé
L’étiquetage et la catégorisation des sites archéologiques ont des conséquences sur l’interprétation et les recherches subséquemment menées. En notre qualité d’archéologues, nous devons ainsi toujours faire preuve de vigilance face aux conséquences imprévues des étiquettes que nous apposons aux renseignements officiels de site, ou que nous choisissons d’omettre. Ces problèmes s’amplifient lorsque les contrôles gouvernementaux codifient les conventions archéologiques existantes, les rendant ainsi rigides et difficilement modifiables. En utilisant la base de données d’enregistrement archéologique de Brant County (Ontario) au Canada, cet article décrit comment les conventions archéologiques et la codification gouvernementale créent des passés imaginaires, ainsi que les conséquences de ces mesures incontestées.
Resumen
El etiquetado y categorización de los emplazamientos arqueológicos tiene consecuencias para la interpretación y subsiguiente investigación completada. Así, como arqueólogos siempre debemos estar vigilantes con respecto a las inesperadas consecuencias de las etiquetas que ponemos, o escogemos omitir, de la información oficial del emplazamiento. Estos problemas se ven agravados cuando el control gubernamental codifica las convenciones arqueológicas existentes y las vuelve rígidas y difíciles de cambiar. Mediante el uso de información actual de la base de datos de registros arqueológicos para el Condado de Brant, Ontario (Canadá), el presente documento demuestra cómo se crean pasados imaginarios mediante la convención arqueológica y la codificación gubernamental y las consecuencias de estas acciones no cuestionadas.
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Acknowledgments
I need to thank Neal Ferris for encouraging and supporting me to continue my research. I also need to thank Peter Whitridge for his help exploring the concept of the Imaginary. I would like to thank Jeff Oliver and Uzma Rizvi for reading an earlier draft of this paper. I would also like to thank the three anonymous reviewers who commented on this paper, and their feedback greatly helped strengthen this paper. I would also like to thank Rob Van Bitter from the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture, and Sport for helping me access the site data from the Ontario Registry of Archaeology Sites. A draft version of this paper was provided to the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport for consideration in changes to their site database system. Any errors or omissions within the paper are my own.
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Beaudoin, M.A. Archaeologists Colonizing Canada: The Effects of Unquestioned Categories. Arch 12, 7–37 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11759-016-9289-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11759-016-9289-z