Can Archaeology Build a Dam? Sites and Politics in Turkey's Southeast Anatolia Project

Abstract

Since 1989, Turkey's Southeast Anatolia Project has constructed a dozen large dams on the Tigris and Euphrates, flooding hundreds of kilometers of river valley and inundating thousands of archaeological sites. Paradoxically, archaeology was used as an argument both for and against dam construction. Dam opponents insisted that sites would be destroyed, while proponents argued that dam construction provided funding for salvage archaeology. Non-archaeologists dominated the discussion, while archaeologists generally avoided political stances. In my examination of two case studies, I argue that each of these positions reflects a different conception of the social role of archaeology, identify which were the most politically effective, and explore the lessons of the GAP project for situations where archaeology is heavily politicized. Finally, I offer suggestions on how archaeologists can transform their ethical guidelines into decision-making tools.