Ithaca College

Reflecting on a More Inclusive Bioarchaeology provides the commentary for a thematic series in the January issue of Historical Archaeology.

 Cultural violence (Galtung 1990) legitimizes and maintains direct and structural violence via such instruments as religion, ideology, and science. Muller's commentary focuses on one collective story that emerges from the articles in the special series -- a story that disrupts cultural violence and moves towards inclusivity in historical bio/archaeology. She highlights that these contributions interrogate omissions, erasures, and hegemonic narratives. They include the works of scholars of color as central to the bio/archaeological canon and engage with living communities as knowledge producers integral to investigations of past peoples. Therefore, they explicate vital steps towards an inclusive critical bioarchaeology.