Points of You: Is archaeology becoming a bullshit job?

It was summer, I was searching for new books for my to-read pile

and I came across Graeber’s latest work, Bullshit jobs (Graeber

2018). Right after buying it and reading the short essay it started

with, I posted a question on Twitter: “Is archaeology a bullshit job?”

Instantly, he answered—without even quoting him in the tweet—

that it was not because people valued it. I did not want to engage

into a debate, but the question stayed in my head, as I was not so

convinced. He suddenly died a few days later. The book was next in

my pile and I compulsively finished the one I was reading to start

with it as soon as possible. Now, with a forum about the future of

public archaeology in this celebratory volume, I thought it would be

timely to add this opinion piece to celebrate his memory and react.