How should we address the ethical and legal debates surrounding the return of looted artifacts or the exhibition of human remains? How should archaeological materials be incorporated into public exhibitions and educational programs? Author Hedley Swain, drawing on his extensive experience as a curator at the Museum of London, addresses these questions, systematically unpacking the core theories of museum archaeology and practical guidance for practical application in the field.

Beginning with the history of archaeology and museums, covering a wide range of topics, including collection management, planning and operation of exhibitions and educational programs, and the future of museum archaeology, this book will provide practical and useful insights to those considering the future direction of museum archaeology researchers and curators in Korea.

One of the challenges facing archaeology in the 21st century is to establish an equitable relationship between the two worlds of archaeology and museums, and between museum archaeology and the public.
“As museum archaeologists, we are particularly interested in the interface between the field of archaeology and the public, which is created through museums, which are the primary spaces in which archaeology can communicate with the public,” Merriman said.
---From “Definition and Object of Museum Archaeology”

The importance of popular culture should not be underestimated, as it is a place where basic myths are repeated and reconstructed, and where most people seek entertainment.
The proximity of archaeology and museums to popular culture is clearly a positive factor for both fields.
(…) The fact that the public's long-standing and enduring image of museum archaeology is the final scene of the first Indiana Jones film, Raiders of the Lost Ark, shows the playful and didactic aspects of archaeology, but also presents a warning about them.
---From “Current Purpose and Method, Theory and Practice”

The protections provided by law and the actual protections in practice can be very different.
In many countries, poverty, poor infrastructure, and internal conflict can render protective laws virtually meaningless.
For example, in some countries, poverty has led to the looting of archaeological sites, leading to pragmatic legal decisions that may not be desirable.
---From the "Legal Framework"

Pharaonic Egyptian archaeology has produced a truly remarkable wealth of material, both because of its immense complexity and because of the extraordinary conditions in which it was preserved.
If there is a target for this criticism, it is museum curators and archaeologists who insist on studying and excavating only certain cultures and on collecting and exhibiting only certain materials.
(…) New museums in Japan and Korea blend Western and Eastern design elements, such as the Seoul Museum of History, which boasts spacious exhibition halls and excellent viewing facilities.
Japan's Osaka Museum of History, which looks like an ultra-modern office building, preserves archaeological remains that can be viewed underground.
---From “Regional Status of Museum Archaeology”

At the heart of the museum are the collections.
When listing the elements that make up a museum (collections, buildings, staff, the public, researchers, etc.), there is no problem establishing the concept of a museum even if the elements other than the collections are omitted.
Essentially, a museum is a dynamic relationship between its collections, its caretakers, and the public (as discussed in Chapter 1), but this relationship begins with the collections and is determined by the nature of the collections.
(…) As Pierce put it, “the most essential power of a curator is the power to classify” (1999, p. 18).
The reason a curved complex is a curved complex is because the curators decided so.
---From the "Archaeological Collection"

Archaeological excavation is an act of destruction of historical sites.
Excavations can provide much evidence about the past, but once the process is over, the ruins or monuments no longer exist.
This gave rise to the concept of 'preservation by records', according to which records created as part of excavations, along with the artifacts and specimens excavated, are of particular importance.
(…) Examples of archaeological collections that are poorly preserved, underused, or even inaccessible can be easily found in many parts of the world.
Europe is where discussions on this issue began, but despite similar situations emerging around the world, few places seem to be willing to address it.
---From the "Excavation Archive"

Human remains are particularly important to archaeologists because they are not only the only material evidence of ancient people, but also, most often artificially buried, provide insight into the beliefs and practices of past peoples.
In other words, human remains are not the trash or waste that characterizes most archaeological finds.
(…) An indigenous group leader reportedly said the exhibition was “a human rights violation against our loved ones” and that “our children should not be treated as exhibits in a circus-like exhibition.”
---From "Human Remains"

It is well known that the most important role of conservation is to keep collections safe for the long term.
Conservation has been the area where most investment has been made in recent years, and there has been much progress in this area.
Conservation scientists are fully aware that no matter how well an artifact is collected from a ruin and preserved in a laboratory, if the storage environment is not suitable and the artifact disappears without a trace after a few years, there is no point in preserving it.
This is not a problem unique to archaeology, but one that is particularly important to keep in mind in archaeology is the sheer number of artifacts that must be preserved, many of which are easily damaged.
---From "Conservation and Collection Management"

The public is one of the three elements that make up a museum, along with the collection and the staff, and the dynamic relationship between these three defines what a museum is.
How do we know what types of people go to museums? More importantly, what types of people don't go?
(…) Museums with collections related to living indigenous peoples must now pay attention to the opinions of indigenous peoples.
It is a shame for the museum that it took so long to get to this point.
---From "The Spectator"

When using human remains in museums, it is important to identify which group a particular human remains belong to so that differences between groups are not unnecessarily blurred.
(…) archaeology is important and museums are valuable.
There is a social role assigned to museum archaeologists.
They are responsible for being externally oriented, imaginative, and resourceful.
Because the past is revealed through surviving artifacts, museum archaeologists can also be seen as guardians of collective memory loss.
It is their responsibility to help people regain their lost memories in a way that contributes to society without being a burden to society.

---From "Conclusion"