Editorial
Back Danielsson, Ing-Marie LU
and Niklasson, Elisabeth
(2025)
In Current Swedish Archaeology
33(1).
p.7-11
- Abstract
- This editorial introduces Volume 33 (2025) of Current Swedish Archaeology, foregrounding archaeology as a socially embedded and politically implicated practice. The issue centers on contemporary challenges posed by rising anti-democratic and authoritarian forces and explores how archaeology and cultural heritage can contribute to sustainable, just, and resilient societies. The keynote by Marte Spangen develops a framework of participatory archaeology and “heritage preparedness,” emphasizing archaeology’s potential role as a mediator within democratic discourse through inclusive, reflexive, and explicitly political engagement. Drawing on Indigenous and Saami archaeology, the keynote argues for small-scale, participatory interventions that... (More)
- This editorial introduces Volume 33 (2025) of Current Swedish Archaeology, foregrounding archaeology as a socially embedded and politically implicated practice. The issue centers on contemporary challenges posed by rising anti-democratic and authoritarian forces and explores how archaeology and cultural heritage can contribute to sustainable, just, and resilient societies. The keynote by Marte Spangen develops a framework of participatory archaeology and “heritage preparedness,” emphasizing archaeology’s potential role as a mediator within democratic discourse through inclusive, reflexive, and explicitly political engagement. Drawing on Indigenous and Saami archaeology, the keynote argues for small-scale, participatory interventions that foster dialogue, trust, and tolerance in the face of complex “wicked problems.”
The subsequent responses critically expand on these themes, addressing the promises and frictions of participatory and Indigenous archaeology across different political, institutional, and cultural contexts, including issues of emotional labour, power asymmetries, climate change, and colonial legacies. Together, they underscore both archaeology’s capacity to support democratic resilience and its potential to reproduce harm if practiced uncritically.
The editorial further presents the volume’s research articles, which examine themes of exclusion, identity, temporality, and memory from World War II internment camps to DNA ancestry testing and Neolithic wetland deposits, alongside reviews, notices, and developments in the journal’s publication practices. Collectively, the issue affirms archaeology’s responsibility, and opportunity, to engage thoughtfully with pressing societal challenges at local and global scales. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/45f0bb95-5f31-4c28-bdb9-53702df0e8ea
- author
- Back Danielsson, Ing-Marie
LU
and Niklasson, Elisabeth
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- in
- Current Swedish Archaeology
- volume
- 33
- issue
- 1
- pages
- 5 pages
- publisher
- Svenska Arkeologiska Samfundet
- ISSN
- 1102-7355
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 45f0bb95-5f31-4c28-bdb9-53702df0e8ea
- alternative location
- https://publicera.kb.se/csa/article/view/63980/51528
- date added to LUP
- 2026-02-21 15:19:16
- date last changed
- 2026-03-05 15:45:48
@misc{45f0bb95-5f31-4c28-bdb9-53702df0e8ea,
abstract = {{This editorial introduces Volume 33 (2025) of Current Swedish Archaeology, foregrounding archaeology as a socially embedded and politically implicated practice. The issue centers on contemporary challenges posed by rising anti-democratic and authoritarian forces and explores how archaeology and cultural heritage can contribute to sustainable, just, and resilient societies. The keynote by Marte Spangen develops a framework of participatory archaeology and “heritage preparedness,” emphasizing archaeology’s potential role as a mediator within democratic discourse through inclusive, reflexive, and explicitly political engagement. Drawing on Indigenous and Saami archaeology, the keynote argues for small-scale, participatory interventions that foster dialogue, trust, and tolerance in the face of complex “wicked problems.”<br/><br/>The subsequent responses critically expand on these themes, addressing the promises and frictions of participatory and Indigenous archaeology across different political, institutional, and cultural contexts, including issues of emotional labour, power asymmetries, climate change, and colonial legacies. Together, they underscore both archaeology’s capacity to support democratic resilience and its potential to reproduce harm if practiced uncritically.<br/><br/>The editorial further presents the volume’s research articles, which examine themes of exclusion, identity, temporality, and memory from World War II internment camps to DNA ancestry testing and Neolithic wetland deposits, alongside reviews, notices, and developments in the journal’s publication practices. Collectively, the issue affirms archaeology’s responsibility, and opportunity, to engage thoughtfully with pressing societal challenges at local and global scales.}},
author = {{Back Danielsson, Ing-Marie and Niklasson, Elisabeth}},
issn = {{1102-7355}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1}},
pages = {{7--11}},
publisher = {{Svenska Arkeologiska Samfundet}},
series = {{Current Swedish Archaeology}},
title = {{Editorial}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/242905735/csa33-2025_pp7-11_editorial.pdf}},
volume = {{33}},
year = {{2025}},
}