Workshop: Contemporary Archaeology. An Exemplification of the Katyn Archaeology
On 3 April 2024, the Katyn Museum in Warsaw hosted a specialist workshop entitled Contemporary Archaeology. An Exemplification of the Katyn Archaeology. The event was co-organised by the “Szare Banderia” Archaeology Students’ Scientific Circle (Archaeology of Arms Research Group) at the University of Łódź, the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Łódź, and the Katyn Museum – a branch of the Martyrology Department of the Museum of the Polish Army.
The workshop was opened by the Head of the Katyn Museum, Sebastian Karwat, who welcomed participants to the institution.
The meeting was dedicated to contemporary archaeology, with a particular focus on the archaeology of Katyn approached from an interdisciplinary perspective. It combined theoretical reflection with both research and museum practice, demonstrating how archaeology engages with history, ethnography, and art history in the study of material traces of the past.
The programme began with a presentation of the NPRH–MNiSW research project Lexicon of Katyn Archaeology (1990–2015), during which members of the project team outlined its methodological foundations and research framework. Participants then took part in sessions led by staff of the Katyn Museum, offering insight into museum practice and approaches to documenting and interpreting archaeological collections.
A significant element of the workshop was also a student panel, during which participants presented papers exploring Katyn archaeology in the context of emerging standards in contemporary archaeological practice. The programme was complemented by discussions and workshop tasks designed to encourage active exchange of ideas and collaborative group work.
Participants who fulfilled the workshop’s educational requirements received certificates issued by the Institute of Archaeology of the University of Łódź and the Katyn Museum. Prior to the event, they were also provided with teaching materials, including a handbook based on the exhibition “’43. The Revelation of the Katyn Massacre: Memory and Archaeology”, a presentation on the research project Lexicon of Katyn Archaeology (1990–2015), as well as a set of discussion themes and workshop tasks.
