‘We don't talk about Çatalhöyük, we live it’: sustainable archaeological practice through community-based participatory research

Abstract

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) provides a methodology for engaging descendent and local communities as partners in archaeological research. This article, based on a five-year comparative research project that examines CBPR's application to archaeology, demonstrates a collaborative model that involves reciprocity, is action based and aims to build community capacity while engaging communities in the process of archaeological research and heritage management. Included are details of what community-based participatory research is, the main principles involved in its practice and a demonstration of how it is being effectively applied ‘on-the-ground’ at Çatalhöyük, Turkey. Two components of the Çatalhöyük CBPR project are highlighted: the community internship program and the archaeological community theatre project.