Public archaeology: thoughts on the construction of an object of study, with comments Daniella Jofre, Lúcio Mesezes and Henry Tantalea

Abstract

This article introduces the analysis of the social and historical circumstancesin which the relationships between archaeology and society emerged asan object of study within the framework of Public Archaeology. It isproposed that these circumstances encouraged a critical review on howarchaeology and professional archaeologists were seen and understood.The paper also discusses the epistemological and ontological foundationsof Public Archaeology as a research line. We will propose that thesefoundations assumed archaeological knowledge and its material referentas two dimensions that give meaning to archaeology in contemporarysocieties.