“Space Invaders”: enabling the reclamation and continuity of non-linear time-space in development-led archaeology

Moussa, Fàres K. and Le Quesne, Charles (2023) “Space Invaders”: enabling the reclamation and continuity of non-linear time-space in development-led archaeology. Theoretical Archaeology Group Conference 2023: Climate Archaeology: Temporalities and Ontologies, University of East Anglia, Norwich, United Kingdom. 18 - 20 Dec 2023.

Abstract

Commercial development-led archaeology constitutes a response to mainly Euro-American style development practices, using Euro-American concepts of linear historicity. Large scale industrial development practices are ultimately intrusive and destructive to landscape, water sources, flora and fauna and arguably facilitate further practices destructive to the environment, such as the extraction, processing and burning of fossil fuels. In this context, development archaeology may be understood as an activity which, while in some way owing its existence to destructive practices, makes some contribution to salvaging and conserving human heritage. Nevertheless “heritage” and “conservation” practices concerned with “history” and “archaeology” are in and of themselves rooted in the very same human metaphysical and economic modalities as those which have led to the development practices which they seek to mitigate. Industrial development and archaeology, in this sense, may be said to be entirely consonant with one another. Indeed, for many indigenous groups, archaeological analysis and historical explanation may have no pertinence or relevance to their internal conception of time and space; and may constitute no more than further Euro-American projection or colonisation.

This paper seeks to propose a pragmatic approach which, while recognising the incongruent modality of development and development-led archaeology within many contexts, seeks to enable the reclamation of non-Euro-American industrialised space-time. By securing the exploration and identification of intangible heritage as a cornerstone of mitigation archaeology, opportunities for the active reclamation of non-Euro-American space-time narratives and land-use practices become much more feasible.

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Contributors

Author: Fàres K. Moussa

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