New Books In Archaeology

Since the beginnings of organized archaeology in the Middle East in the 19th century, western archaeologists have typically employed large “gangs” or “teams” of locals to perform the manual labor of excavating a site. Frequently considered “unskilled” workers, their contributions to archaeology have often been overlooked and underappreciated. Allison Mickel disrupts this narrative, demonstrating the myriad ways in which archaeological site workers in the Middle East are immensely knowledgeable about sites, finds, and their interpretation—albeit in sometimes different ways than the archaeological staff. Despite intimate, and incredible knowledge of local archaeology, site workers, Mickel observes, are often reluctant to consider themselves “experts,” choosing to mask their familiarity of archaeological method and practice. Mickel calls this phenomenon “lucrative non-knowledge,” where locals often benefit financially by feigning ignorance or performing an expected role rather than declaring their great expertis