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Blurring For Clarity: Archaeology As Hybrid Practice, Stephen W. Silliman

Stephen W. Silliman

In an effort to decolonize the field, archaeologists, particularly historical archaeologists, have used post-colonial notions of hybridity to interpret past (and present) colonialism and especially the experiences of indigenous people therein. Archaeologists also have countered the colonialist tendencies of the discipline through repatriation efforts and Indigenous participation. This paper blends these two trends as a way of exploring the possibilities of archaeology as a hybrid practice. I refer in particular to the collaborative and indigenous archaeologies of recent years and the complex ways that identities and practices interface therein. In this complex post-colonial (or neocolonial) world, it is worth considering …