Teaching and Learning the Archaeology of the Contemporary Era

The first exploration of pedagogy in the fast-growing field of the archaeology of the contemporary era, drawing on case studies from around the world.

The archaeology of the contemporary era is a lively and well-established field, contributing to studies of migration, climate change, consumption and violent conflict, as well as to the development of archaeological thought and practice more widely. Contemporary archaeology is grounded in the material traces of 20th and 21st-century existence, touching upon fields such as human geography, contemporary history and social anthropology. Despite its scholarly impacts and widely-recognised pedagogical values, to date the formal teaching of contemporary archaeology has been relatively limited. This book brings together accounts of teaching and learning in contemporary archaeology from as far afield as Orkney and Iran.

The chapters include case studies of courses, modules and specific sessions, as well as reflections on the development of the discipline in different contexts. This book is intended as a resource for both teachers and students of contemporary archaeology, presenting a set of tools and practices to borrow, modify and apply in new contexts. It highlights the values of interdisciplinarity, radical pedagogies, and innovative approaches in contemporary archaeology and related disciplines, and provides a basis for future developments and debates in contemporary archaeology curriculum design.