This book delves into the political aspects of an archaeology of the contemporary past and provides evidence and an understanding of structural violence, inequalities, and possible ways to contest them in current settings. Using case studies, this volume presents a revision of how different theoretical approaches and archaeological methods (combined or mixed with other disciplinary or undisciplined methods), become tools to inquire on the political in its many facets. The contributions to this volume present different scenarios through which the political is or can be reconstituted, re-defined and scrutinized. Whether it is called dissident archaeology or archaeology of repression and resistance or tackling a wide array of subject such as climate change or consumerism, modern conflict, homelessness, migration, and displacement or others, the volume discusses lines of scrutiny that bring together efforts from distant and yet proximate places in the global south and north. Thus, this book provides material connections that illuminate the political spectrum that frames social conditions of power and resistance, the abuse of the former and the efficiency of the latter. This volume is of interest to archaeologists, heritage specialists, and historians studying the contemporary past.
Dr. Dante Angelo - I am a Bolivian archaeologist (Universidad Mayor de San Andrés, 1999), and I have conducted research about prehispanic occupations in the southwestern part of the country. There, I explored mostly aspects related to pre-Inca settlements and their social structures, which was later published locally. Later, I pursued graduate studies and obtained my Master's degree in socio-cultural anthropology (2003) and a PhD in anthropology (2010), both in Stanford University. Throughout my academic formation, I have been interested in the political aspects of the archaeological practice. My doctoral research about the material and political aspects involved in the production of heritage involved hybrid methodologies of analysis that I continue to use and improve in later efforts. In 2018, a piece of my work in which such methodological and theoretical aspects are displayed was recognized with the Gordon Willey Prize, awarded by the American Anthropological Association. I have also been involved incollaborative work along colleagues from US universities to explore different aspects (key among these, the political ones) about the COVID-19 pandemic and the ways archaeology can tackle them. Also, as part of these collaborative efforts, I have recently co-organized with Andrés Zarankin, the co-editor of this proposed volume, the session entitled "Archaeologies of Contemporary and Political Global Settings", within the global conference of the World Archaeological Congress (Prague, 2022), which was very well received by the archaeological community. My partnership with Andrés, a good friend of mine and one of the most renowned Latin American archaeologists, provides an opportunity to bring to the spotlight some of the tensions and, hopefully, alternatives to deal with the challenges that current contexts pose to the discipline and demand a more engaged practice from it.
Andrés Zarankin, is currently Full Professor of Archaeology at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil). He is also the head of the Brazilian's International Antarctic Human Science project and WAC Senior representative of Southern America. He is visiting Professor of several Brazilian's and international universities. He has also published several articles in international magazines, and he is editor of Vestigios; Revista Latino-Americana de Arqueologia Historica. His main research interests include archaeology of architecture, archaeological theory, archaeology of repression and resistance and Antarctic's archaeology.
