Public Participation in Archaeology in Germany and the UK

Abstract

People’s fascination with the past may well be as old as humanity. It is at least part of the reason why humans have been and still are drawn to places they associate with their ancestors. This is visible in the archaeological record from prehistoric times onwards, for example, in the reuse of sites and monuments during later archaeological periods.

The same fascination forms the basis for the scholarly exploration of the past in more recent times. In Europe, it began with the texts and art of antiquity before antiquarians turned towards objects from other periods and regions. Over time they developed methods to study not only the epigraphic sources, but also the material remains left behind. This quest for knowledge of the past resulted in the emergence of archaeology as an academic discipline in the second half of the 19th century. Yet, much archaeological research was still conducted by archaeological societies and self-taught scholars and during the first half of the 20th century, many archaeologists also employed local workmen as diggers for their excavations. The high level of public involvement continued until the 1980s, when archaeology became more professionalised. However, the public interest in archaeology remained unchanged and archaeologists continued to work with interested members of the public.

While the above is true for Germany and the UK, today there is a noticeable difference in the visibility of public participation in archaeology in the two countries. In the UK, a wide variety of opportunities can be easily found. These range from archaeologists working with individuals or a small group of volunteers to projects run by archaeological societies or ‘community archaeology’ projects which are specifically designed to include members of the public and get them involved in archaeological research. While similar opportunities exist in Germany, they are fewer and often harder to find. In addition, public participation is much more present in the anglophone academic discourse than it is in German archaeology.

This PhD thesis investigates the possible reasons for this difference by looking at potential factors such as the historical development of the discipline, the relevant local and international heritage laws as well as the archaeologists’ and public’s opinion of public participation in archaeology. The latter is done through quantitative research in the form of online surveys. The results for the two countries are then compared in an attempt to identify the cause or causes for the above-mentioned differences. Furthermore, a series of case studies was added to check whether the actual practice in both countries differs.

Based on this research it becomes obvious that factors such as the history of archaeology, the law and the public’s wishes and interests can influence public participation, but they do not explain the stark difference between the situation in Germany and the UK. Instead, it is the archaeologists’ opinion of public participation that shows the biggest differences and thus must be considered to be the main reason why public participation is much more widespread in the UK compared to Germany.

Aside from the above explanation, the data collected as part of this research was further used to compare the reflected practices and attitudes to existing participation models. In addition, a typology of volunteer types was created to help inform the practice of public participation and some guidance regarding best practice was added.

Date of Award	2025
Original language	English
Sponsors	College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, Prifysgol Bangor University
Supervisor	Hayley Roberts (Supervisor) & Karen Pollock (Supervisor)