'We make the diamond shine' : archaeological communities in Quseir, Egypt

Abstract

This thesis examines the relationship between archaeology, archaeologists and a local community in Quseir, Egypt.  Undertaken as part of the Community Archaeology Project at Quseir, a unique project that is endeavouring to challenge traditional archaeological approaches in Egypt, it forms one component of the wider archaeological investigation of Quseir al-Qadim, a Roman and Mamluk port on the Red Sea coast.  The research presented here explores the role of the past in the present, whilst demonstrating the potential benefits inherent in collaborative archaeological practice.

The data upon which this thesis is based are drawn from 170 interviews conducted with both local residents and archaeologists in the city of Quseir; the disparate themes addressed being those most prevalent within the interviews themselves.  In part one, I discuss the development of community archaeology in the 1970s, highlighting the role of indigenous communities’ critiques of the discipline and situating a community oriented approach within the broader field of socio-political analysis in archaeology.  I reflect upon the various methodological, political and ethical issues raised by undertaking research of this nature, and argue for the incorporation of alternative perceptions of the past into the archaeological canon.  In part two, I demonstrate the richer texture of an archaeological narrative that incorporates the oral history of local communities, before examining the role of the past in the construction of contemporary community identity within Quseir, an identity that is simultaneously archaeological, historical and folkloric.  I conclude by critically examining the development of heritage tourism in Quseir.

This thesis complements the work of scholars of both community archaeology and socio-political analysis in archaeology.  In nevertheless goes further, demonstrating the potentials of collaborative archaeological practice to generate research questions of interest and relevance to all parties, thus ensuring that archaeology retains a social significance in the twenty-first century.  As such, it provides a unique insight into attitudes towards the past in the present.

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