So...is Archaeology Decolonized Yet?

Abstract

Tuck and Yang famously wrote that “decolonization is not a metaphor”…but are archaeologists still thinking metaphorically? The origins of archaeology as a discipline can be traced to colonial endeavours and the pursuit of instilling and maintaining racist hierarchies; as such, colonialist attitudes and approaches have become entrenched in the very foundation of archaeology. Fortunately, the past decades have seen a movement towards rectifying these past injustices, with more recent actions aligned with the broader decolonial movement that can be seen throughout academia. But has any part of archaeology been “decolonized” yet? In this article, I will examine the current state of decolonizing archaeology, with reference to actions occurring in adjacent disciplines, such as heritage and museum studies. Particular attention will be paid to projects that have attempted a decolonial approach, and the results of said project. This will be framed by an honest and critical self-reflection of my own attempts to “decolonise” my research, placing both its successes and failures in context with the broader literature on postcolonial archaeology today. This framework will also delve into the ways in which my identity as a Chinese American migrant working in Britain colours my perspective on decolonising archaeology.