11.06.2026 | Philosophische Fakultät, Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte und Archäologie des Mittelalters, Seminar für Zeitgeschichte und American Studies

The Archaeology of American Protest

Year after year, Americans gather in iconic places of freedom such as Boston, Philadelphia, and Washington DC demanding yet again that the nation live up to its ideals of equality, prosperity, and self-determination. Using archaeology to explore the past 400 years of American protest history, April Beisaw juxtaposes the materials used by activists with the weaponry used to suppress them, showing how protests are integral to the American experience. She demonstrates how communal and public actions aimed at changing the status quo occur in moments of opportunity, while decades later these protests can take on new meanings and be seen in retrospect as moments of pride. Documenting protest sites and material culture can preserve the heritage of social activism, set realistic expectations for social change, and inspire actions for better futures.

April M. Beisaw is professor of anthropology at Vassar College, New York. She studies cultural change and resilience in the relatively recent past (1300 AD to yesterday). She uses archaeology to address contemporary social issues and connect past and present. A key area of her work is also research in zooarchaeology, exploring human–animal relationships and the boundaries between wild and domesticated species. She also investigates environmental and landscape archaeology, particularly the study of water systems and their social impacts. Beisaw is also concerned with ethical issues in archaeology, such as repatriation and the treatment of human remains.

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