OAS 2021 Symposium
Session 1 - Archaeological Knowledge Production in the Age of ZOOM
Paper 4 - Combating Anti-Science: The Role of Archaeology in the 21st Century

Christopher Kerns PhD, RPA, FSAScot

In recent years there has been an increase in what may be termed anti-science movements which question the authority and validity of scientific disciplines. The current rise of the anti-science movement is only the most recent manifestation of a phenomenon entwined with the history of scientific inquiry. As a bridge between the physical sciences and social sciences, archaeology has had a unique relationship with anti-science and pseudo-science movements throughout its history. Consequently, the history of that relationship provides valuable insight into effective and ineffective methods of combating such movements. Such a history demonstrates the necessity for mechanisms of validating archaeological knowledge while simultaneously maintaining relevance to the public through accessible knowledge production. The history of the Heart of Neolithic Orkney World Heritage Site and the University of the Highlands and Islands provides an illustrative example of the struggle between scientific inquiry and anti-scientific/ pseudo-scientific movements.