Happy national LGBTQ history month! In this blog I’ll be discussing queer archaeology. 

While perhaps not a (yet!) common theoretical lens studied in archaeology courses, queer archaeology has been around for a while and is here to stay. In this post I will provide a short explanation of what queer archaeology is and then post a long list of resources! Even if you’ve never read queer theory before, opening your mind to new perspectives is always a good thing.  

The main focus of queer archaeology is to challenge normative views of the past. It does not seek the origin of homosexuality or different gender identities, but rather it encourages us to take a critical view of the past and not fall into binary thinking. Queer archaeology is related to feminist archaeology, gender archaeology, and transgender archaeology. Queer theory is used in archaeological studies throughout the world.  

Queer archaeology is important because it teaches us to reconsider our biases. For example, bioarchaeologists often determine the probable sex of a set of human remains in their studies. While an individual may fit physically into the gender binary, their lived experience may not have matched up with what their bones show. Many cultures had a spectrum of gender identities before they were colonized by Europeans; if we study those cultures through a Eurocentric view, we will miss many important aspects of those people’s lives. It is also important to not project modern biases onto past groups of people, and using queer theory helps to ensure that.  

Queer people have always existed and still do. Their stories and history are just as important as every other human being, and they deserve to be studied with the same respect as any other group of people. Please explore the links below, whether you are a queer archaeologist, an ally, or are just starting to learn about queer archaeology.   

The websites have information about queer archaeology theory, LGBTQ archaeology groups, the methods of how queer archaeology is done, and case studies.  

https://queerarchaeology.com/ An overview of all things queer archaeology! The link below is from the same website, but from the bibliography page.  

https://queerarchaeology.com/resources/information-about-queer-archaeology/. This source has links to three queer archaeology organizations and a plethora of articles and books that discuss sexuality, gender, and case studies in queer archaeology.  

https://www.saa.org/quick-nav/about-saa/interest-groups . There is a Queer Archaeology Interest Group within the SAA; click the link to learn more!  

https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/archaeology-classics-and-egyptology/blog/2022/normalising-queer-representation-in-archaeology/. This is a blog post from a student at the University of Liverpool. 

https://core.tdar.org/collection/29516/queering-the-field-archaeologies-of-sexuality-gender-and-beyond. Resources from the SAA meeting in 2015.   

Department of Anthropology, Geospatial, and Earth Sciences at IUP