Contemporary Archaeology is a field of archaeological research that focuses on the most recent (20th and 21st century) past, and also increasingly explores the application of archaeological thinking to the contemporary world. It has also been referred to as the archaeology of the 'contemporary past'. The use of this term is particularly associated with the Contemporary and Historical Archaeology in Theory (CHAT) conference group , based in the United Kingdom. The field forms part of historical archaeology

Historical archaeology

Historical archaeology is a form of archaeology dealing with topics that are already attested in written records. These records can both complement and conflict with the archaeological evidence found at a particular site. Studies tend to focus on literate, historical-period societies as opposed...

, or the archaeology of the modern period. Unlike ethnoarchaeology

Ethnoarchaeology

Ethnoarchaeology is the ethnographic study of peoples for archaeological reasons, usually through the study of the material remains of a society . Ethnoarchaeology aids archaeologists in reconstructing ancient lifeways by studying the material and non-material traditions of modern societies...

, contemporary archaeology studies the recent and contemporary past in its own right, rather than to develop models that can inform the study of the more distant past.

Often informed by anthropological material culture studies, but characterised by putting traditional archaeological methods and practices to new uses, research in this field generally aims to make an archaeological contribution to broader social scientific studies of the contemporary world, focusing especially upon contributing methods of studying material things (objects, landscapes, buildings, material heritage, etc.) to sociological, geographical and political studies of the modern world. The field has developed especially in heritage management, for example through English Heritage

English Heritage

English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...

's "Change and Creation" programme on the landscapes of the later 20th century

Key Works in Contemporary Archaeology

• Bradley, A., V. Buchli, G. Faiclough, D. Hicks, J. Miller and J. Schofield 2004. Change and Creation: Historic Landscape Character 1950-2000. London: English Heritage.
• Buchli, V. 1999. An Archaeology of Socialism. Oxford: Berg.
• Buchli, V. and G. Lucas (eds) 2001. Archaeologies of the Contemporary Past. London: Routledge
• Graves-Brown, P.M. (ed) 2000. Matter, Materiality and Modern Culture. London: Routledge.
• Rathje, W.L. and C. Murphy 2001. Rubbish! The Archaeology of Garbage. Tucson: The University of Arizona Press.

External links

• CHAT conference group http://www.contemp-hist-arch.ac.uk
• Change and Creation (English Heritage) http://www.changeandcreation.org
• Research in Contemporary Archaeology at Ironbridge Archaeology
• http://www.ironbridge.org.uk/about_us/ironbridge_archaeology/research/contemporary/
• The Van Project blog
• http://www.stillintransit.blogspot.com/
• Sic Transit Gloria Mundi (British Archaeology magazine)
• http://www.britarch.ac.uk/ba/ba92/feat2.shtml