Introduction: Archaeology as Performance

This chapter sets out the topic of the book and the issues to be addressed. It focuses on a discussion of how to approach the task of defining ‘archaeology’ and ‘archaeologist’ for the purposes of the work, the notion of archaeology as a set of practices, and ultimately archaeology as a realm of specifically ethical practice, a theme that runs through and informs the entire book. The chapter emphasises that archaeology is both an arena of qualified professionals but also of amateurs who undertake archaeology for love, is an employment sector but also a craft, and that overarching all this is the key argument of the book—that archaeology is important.