1st Edition
Archaeology in Antarctica
Archaeology in Antarctica outlines the history of archaeology in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic.
The book details for the first time all past archaeological work in Antarctica, relating to both its use for conservation and research purposes, drawing on published, unpublished and oral information. This work has addressed historic and current scientific bases, explorers’ huts, whaling stations and sealing shelters. The ongoing and long-term research on the sealing shelters and sites in the South Shetland Islands features prominently. The archaeology enables new perspectives on the impact of global modernity and empire in the Antarctic and challenges established dominant discourses on the ‘heroic’ nature of human interaction with the continent. The work on sealing sites gives voice to the experiences of the sealer as a subaltern group previously largely overlooked by historical sources.
This book will appeal to students and researchers in archaeology, history and heritage as well as readers interested in the human and historical aspects of Antarctica’s past and present.
Introduction; 1: Developing an understanding of archaeology in Antarctica – human interactions with a polar environment; 2: The history of archaeological investigations in Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic islands; 3: The archaeology of the South Shetland Islands; 4: Approaching sealers’ practices and experiences; Final thoughts; Bibliography; Appendix; Index.
Biography
Andrés Zarankin is currently professor of Archaeology at the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG, Brazil) and director of the Laboratory of Antarctic Studies in Human Sciences (LEACH). He is editor of Vestigios; Revista Latino-Americana de Arqueologia Historica. His main research interests include historical archaeology, archaeological theory and Antarctic’s archaeology.
Michael Pearson is a former heritage consultant and researcher, who now works as an independent scholar. He has worked extensively in historical and industrial archaeology, heritage planning and World Heritage internationally for over four decades, and has undertaken extensive research in the Antarctic, with many published articles and books. He has been awarded the Order of Australia for his work.
Melisa A. Salerno is a researcher at the Multidisciplinary Institute of History and Human Sciences, National Council of Scientific and Technical Research in Argentina (IMHICIHU-CONICET). She has worked on several case studies in historical archaeology, with special emphasis on nineteenth-century Antarctica. Her research interests include the life of ‘invisible’ groups, power and identity dynamics and embodied practices and experiences.
