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Document Details : Title: Beyond the Written Record Subtitle: Mapping the Labor Landscape of Archaeology in Türkiye through Oral History Author(s): BARAN, Mustafa Kemal Journal: Anatolica Volume: 51 Date: 2025 Pages: 283-303 DOI: 10.2143/ANA.51.0.3294798 Abstract : Systematic archaeological fieldwork in Türkiye, a country home to countless heritage places, has a more than century-long history. Unearthing this vast body of heritage places through archaeological excavations has relied on diverse sources of labor in the field which often escaped detailed scrutiny. While an indispensable element of the practice, the concept of labor in archaeology is something all participants know and experience inherently but rarely acknowledge. While scholarship has recently begun to acknowledge the ways in which archaeology has been practiced, a historical investigation into the matters of labor and the contribution of local communities has been further complicated by archival practices that often silence the voices of archaeology’s less fortunate laborers. This article presents the results of an oral history research project that investigates the history of archaeological practice in Türkiye - a study that is not limited only to the issues of labor but also examines the establishment of archaeology as an academic discipline. The interviewees consisted of current or former directors of archaeological projects as well as other academic participants in archaeological fieldwork in Türkiye. The article identifies different kinds of archaeological labor utilized in the field based on the oral testimonies of the practitioners mentioned above and offers a broad taxonomy of workforce. The labor force in archaeological fieldwork comprised a variety of groups including convicted prisoners, migrant contingent farming laborers, and unpaid students. This article further elaborates on how labor has developed and transformed throughout the years in the second half of the twentieth century in Türkiye. |
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