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SUMMARY:Decolonise what? Archaeology\, heritage and the elusive pursuit of
  locally centred African past(s)  - Prof Shadreck Chirikure\, University o
 f Oxford/University of Cape Town
DTSTART:20191111T170000Z
DTEND:20191111T180000Z
UID:TALK134338@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Victoria Jones
DESCRIPTION:That archaeology and heritage are essential fields of human en
 deavour with a solid track record in reconstructing and forging African pa
 sts and identities is beyond debate. What is often debateable\, however\, 
 is the relevance\, validity and utility of knowledge used to construct suc
 h pasts and identities. In Africa\, this is hardly surprising: as techniqu
 es to study\, protect and valorise the past\, archaeology and heritage wer
 e introduced as appendages to colonialism. A preserve of colonial elites\,
  these fields were often practised from a western epistemological pivot\, 
 with a limited role for Africans. The post-colony brought renewed hope and
  was accompanied by a gradual increase in the number of western trained Af
 rican archaeologists and heritage managers. However\, nothing has signific
 antly changed with the manner in which archaeology and heritage continue t
 o be academically practiced. Local communities are still neither seen as k
 nowledge producers\, nor as knowledge validators. Other than as western ti
 nted ethnoarchaeologies\, African concepts rarely feature in archaeologica
 l theories and interpretations. Given the knowledge production power struc
 tures skewed in favour of the global north\, is it possible to move beyond
  talks of decolonising African pasts and heritage to achieve decolonisatio
 n in both principle and practice? Drawing from case studies scattered acro
 ss the African continent\, this paper argues that in the first instance re
 searchers must be clear with what they want to decolonise and in the secon
 d\, must commit to ‘doing’ rather than merely talking. The conclusion 
 to the paper is that if radical steps are not taken\, the more decolonisat
 ion talks there are\, the more things will stay the same.
LOCATION:Seminar Room S1 Alison Richard Building\, 7 West Road\, Cambridge
  CB3 9DT
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