The archaeologists within: Uniting different interests in heritage within a contentious setting

ABSTRACT In this article, I argue for the value of community inclusion, transparency, and engagement in efforts to change attitudes towards archaeology, using a case from Åland, an autonomous archipelago in the Baltic Sea. With its own legislation concerning the protection of archaeological sites, archaeology on Åland has been a contentious subject for decades. This culminated in 2013 with the controversial trial and conviction of a family for severely and knowingly damaging one of the Stone Age sites on Åland. Against this backdrop, I initiated a project concerning an Iron Age settlement site. I discuss my experience of setting up an independent research project with a focus on publicly engaged archaeology and storytelling within an initially hostile framework, and in a region where archaeology is highly professionalized. The article also illustrates how friction around a community-oriented project can arise between stakeholders as a result of the social dynamics of archaeology itself.