You of All People Ask Me? Public Archaeology is You: A Response to Grima and the Wider Debate on the Meaning of Public Archaeology

Abstract

Within the broader debate to (re)define public archaeology, Grima's (2016) paper calls for an archaeology embedded in public archaeology, thereby focusing on this avenue of expansion instead of its own development as a singular discipline. Not fully rejecting this idea, this short paper aims to situate the debate a step beyond, towards a slightly different approach. Employing a historiographical perspective, it is argued that complementary visions about public archaeology help to enrich the discipline.

Keywords:

• public
• archaeology
• definition
• practice
• historiography

Notes on contributor

Jaime Almansa Sánchez is the founder and general manager of JAS Arqueología S.L.U. (Madrid, Spain), as well as director of AP: Online Journal in Public Archaeology (www.arqueologiapublica.es). He is currently linked to the Research Group on Cultural Heritage Management at Universidad Complutense de Madrid (Spain), where he recently finish his PhD on public archaeology and heritage management. Besides theoretical approaches to public archaeology, he enjoys researching the public image of the past. His latest works delve into political issues concerning the latest legislative process in Madrid. He is strongly committed to the profession and served as Secretary of Colegio de Arqueólogos de Madrid.

Notes

1 The entirety of Becquer's poem can be read here: http://poemsintranslation.blogspot.co.uk/2010/03/becquer-rhyme-21-from-spanish.html