The Politicization of Archaeology and its Consequences

March 30, 2027 – February 12, 2028

Archaeologists investigate the human past through objective, scientific research, but their findings are sometimes co-opted to serve exclusionary political agendas. Drawing from the Lam Museum’s global collections, The Politicization of Archaeology and its Consequences examines how governments and political institutions manipulate material culture to craft foundational myths, empower nationalist movements, and justify state power. By contrasting ethnocentric, supremacist, and decolonial narratives across archaeological case studies, the exhibition exposes the patterns through which archaeological artifacts are presented in bad faith. Visitors are invited to look critically at how historical narratives are constructed—discovering how knowledge can be weaponized to displace and marginalize communities, as well as how these same systems shape our present world.