Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
This lecture by Prof Robin Skeates (Durham University) introduces debates on the relevance of archaeology to the modern world. The first half deals with ‘public archaeology’, drawing on three examples with which the presenter has direct experience: a heritage battle fought by various stakeholders over the future of a Bronze Age monument in England; a project exploring what makes people say ‘wow!’ when visiting archaeological places; and another project intended to transform museums in Jordan from tourist places to educational resources for local communities. The second half then turns to some major contemporary debates concerning: ‘decolonising’ archaeology, ‘fast’ archaeological science, the growing dominance of English as the language of archaeological science, archaeology in wartime, and archaeology at a time of global environmental crisis.
This lecture by Prof Robin Skeates (Durham University) introduces debates on the relevance of archaeology to the modern world. The first half deals with ‘public archaeology’, drawing on three examples with which the presenter has direct experience: a heritage battle fought by various stakeholders over the future of a Bronze Age monument in England; a project exploring what makes people say ‘wow!’ when visiting archaeological places; and another project intended to transform museums in Jordan from tourist places to educational resources for local communities. The second half then turns to some major contemporary debates concerning: ‘decolonising’ archaeology, ‘fast’ archaeological science, the growing dominance of English as the language of archaeological science, archaeology in wartime, and archaeology at a time of global environmental crisis.
