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Archaeology education and the political landscape of American schools

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

M. Elaine Davis
M. Elaine Davis*
Affiliation:
Crow Canyon Archaeological Center, 23390 Road K, Cortez CO 81321, USA
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Abstract

Education, a primary mode for transmitting society's knowledge, values and beliefs, is a highly political endeavour. To understand fully the place of archaeology within the framework of public education in the United States, some background in the broader political landscape and sanctioned curricula in American schools is necessary. This article examines some key aspects of these issues, including governmental control of education, the ‘history of history’ in schools, and the appropriation of the past. It also looks at the status of archaeology education in the United States and considers an appropriate role for pre-college archaeology.

Keywords

pre-collegeschoolsUSApublic education
Type
Special section: Archaeology in education
Information
Antiquity , Volume 74 , Issue 283 , March 2000 , pp. 194 - 198
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2000

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