- Title : The Origins, Development Process, and Necessity of Public Archaeology
- Author : Minjae ZOH (HK Research Professor)
- Journal : The Korean Archaeological Society
- Publication Date : 2025.06.
- Abstract
This article examines the origins and developmental trajectory of Public Archaeology and analyzes the necessity and significance of comprehensively integrating this field into contemporary archaeological education and practice. While the importance of linking archaeology to the public sphere has been increasingly recognized worldwide—including in South Korea—leading to the proliferation of museum—and site-based educational and experiential programs, a contextual understanding of how and why this field emerged, as well as its theoretical and methodological systematization, remains insufficient. As a result, in many countries, Public Archaeology is often regarded merely as a means of promoting and educating archaeology to the general public. However, a comprehensive review of the origins and development of Public Archaeology reveals why archaeologists in the 1970s began actively engaging with the public domain and why they ultimately established this field as an independent academic discipline within archaeology. This article explores how Public Archaeology has garnered scholarly attention, how it has been institutionally adopted by major universities and research institutions, and the pathways through which its unique theories and methodologies have evolved. By conducting a comprehensive analysis of the systematic establishment of Public Archaeology as a scholarly discipline, this study underscores the necessity of integrating it into archaeological education and practice. Moreover, it aims to propose future directions for the systematic introduction and advancement of Public Archaeology.
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