Localising Heritage: archaeologies of the recent past in post-war Jaffna, Sri Lanka

The role of archaeology in divisive nationalism, colonial supremacism and the marginalisation of subaltern groups is increasingly evident globally. Such legacies are visible in Sri Lanka, not least its north and east, where many regard archaeology as either irrelevant or as a weapon directed against them. We outline the genesis of a UK-Sri Lankan project that responds to this situation and focus on a workshop held in Jaffna with University of Jaffna partners that tested the potential for archaeology and heritage to foster affirmation of identity and sense of place in communities recovering from conflict. The initiative comprised collaborative activity not requiring specialist training, bringing together people of diverse disciplinary backgrounds to identify and record local sites. While archaeologies of conflict surfaced, the country’s civil war was not the primary focus. The work considered how the material fabric of place, and the understanding and memory it evokes, are forms of archaeology and heritage and might be practised for social good.