Data and Technology Politics in Archaeology
Program and Abstracts of the 2nd Annual Workshop in the Exploring the Layers of Digital Archaeological Practice Series
Hovedinnhold
The second workshop in the series, titled Data and Technology Politics in Archaeology, will take place on December 3–4, 2025, at the Norwegian Institute at Athens under the auspices of the Institute and the Universities of Bergen, Oslo, and Patras. This two-day event will explore the socio-political dimensions of data and digital technologies in archaeological practice, critically examining how these tools influence research priorities, interpretive frameworks, and professional structures.
While digital tools, and more recently, AI-driven methodologies, are expanding the scope of archaeological inquiry, they also present complex ethical, epistemological, and institutional challenges. These include issues related to the production, processing, and interpretation of data, as well as the degree to which technological infrastructures and access to digital tools reinforce or challenge existing power asymmetries within the discipline. The workshop will pay particular attention to how digital infrastructures and automation mediate access to archaeological knowledge, shape labor conditions, and intersect with broader conversations about decolonization, equity, and sustainability both within and beyond the field.
Topics to be addressed include, but are not limited to:
- Ethical and Practical Concerns with Digital Tools
- Digital and Algorithmic Power Dynamics in Archaeological Research
- Postcolonial Approaches in the Digital Realm
- Standardization Policies and Agendas
- Technological Bias, Labor Conditions, and Automation in Archaeology
By engaging with these themes, the workshop aims to foster deeper critical reflection on the politics of digital archaeology, challenge the frameworks driving the field’s digital transformation, and encourage dialogue on more equitable and reflexive digital futures.
Please note that the workshop is not open to the public. However, it will feature a public evening lecture (hybrid) on December 3 at 7:00 p.m. EET, delivered by Dr. Jeremy Huggett (Honorary Senior Research Fellow in Archaeology, School of Humanities, University of Glasgow), titled Gone Digital: How Has Digitalization Changed Archaeology? Further details and registration information will be announced soon.
The full workshop program and the series circular can be found at the bottom of the page.
