On 29 August, Rita Peyroteo Stjerna (Uppsala University) and Mari Tõrv (University of Tartu) chaired the roundtable “Academic Feudalism”: Research Ethics and Sustainability in Biomolecular Archaeology at ISBA11 in Turin. The session focused on ethical and sustainable approaches to cultural heritage research through the lens of biomolecular archaeology.
“Instead of a regular session, we proposed a roundtable with guest panelists from diverse backgrounds and career stages. Roundtables allow more time for discussion and sharing experiences. They’re a great way to openly address complex topics, and we believe we fostered a critical yet constructive dialogue on how the field can evolve by confronting ethical dilemmas at key stages of research.”
When ethics in biomolecular archaeology are discussed, the usual concerns often include destructive sampling – especially of human remains – and the role and rights of present-day communities. While these issues are essential and must remain part of ongoing conversations, professional ethics in our field extend far beyond them. This broader scope was the focus of our roundtable.
This year’s panel was structured around two inward-looking themes that examine our discipline and daily professional practices:
- Unbalanced Relationships in Knowledge Production
- Sustainability and Equity
We had over an hour for panel discussion, followed by audience questions and comments. The conversation could have easily continued much longer – audience engagement was high, and it was clear that many are eager to improve professional ethics in our field.
We’re deeply grateful to the six panelists who accepted our invitation – and our challenge – to share their insights and experiences:
- André Colonese (Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona)
- Audrey T. Lin (American Museum of Natural History)
- Selina Carlhoff (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology)
- Katerina Douka (University of Vienna)
- Matthew Collins (University of Cambridge, University of Copenhagen)
- Beatrice Demarchi (University of Turin), head organizer of ISBA11
We hope this session was as inspiring for participants as it was for us. Ethics is not a checklist – it’s a continuous, evolving process that demands attention, reflection, and engagement. As professionals, it’s our responsibility to keep this dialogue alive and confront the dilemmas that shape our field.
We also hope this roundtable is just one of many, sparking ideas for how the community can carry this conversation forward – within departments, research groups, and future conferences. Whether through workshops, roundtables, or case discussions, it’s vital to learn from each other’s experiences – both the successes and the challenges.”
– Rita & Mari
This initiative is part of Rita’s subproject “Researchers’ Perspectives” within the Ethical Entanglements project. She also served on the ISBA11 Scientific Committee, contributing to the Ethics subsection.
Featured image: “DNA” by gedankenstuecke is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/?ref=openverse.
Ethical Entanglements 