Data Ethics in Aerial Archaeology at Angkor | Sayumphu Ros | CAAA2025

Описание: Data Ethics in Aerial Archaeology at Angkor
Sayumphu Ros

Aerial digital archaeology has become indispensable for investigating Angkor, where technologies such as LiDAR, drones, and satellite imaging generate unprecedented datasets for mapping and analysis. Yet, these advances are not neutral. This paper interrogates the ethical, legal, and political entanglements of aerial digital archaeology at Angkor.

Using Actor–Network Theory (ANT) as a methodological lens, the study conceptualizes technologies, international legal frameworks, Cambodian institutions, and local communities as co-constitutive actors in the archaeological process. The analysis traces how aerial datasets, often collected through international projects, are mediated, circulated, and appropriated, revealing structural asymmetries in access, control, and authorship. These patterns reproduce forms of data colonialism where knowledge extraction mirrors historical colonial encounters.

Drawing on Science and Technology Studies (STS), the research further identifies how gaps in governance frameworks perpetuate inequities. While instruments such as UNESCO conventions or national heritage laws nominally address cultural heritage, they remain fragmented and insufficient for regulating emerging digital practices.

This paper therefore advances a model of ethical aerial digital archaeology centered on epistemic justice. It calls for long-term stewardship agreements, equitable data-sharing practices, and the institutional empowerment of Cambodian scholars and stakeholders. Ultimately, the project reframes Angkor not only as a site of archaeological inquiry but also as a crucible for debates on heritage sovereignty, digital ethics, and the decolonization of archaeology in the Global South.

Presented on October 2 2025 as part of CAA Australasia Digital Archaeology Conference.

You can become a member of CAA Australasia here: https://au.caa-international.org/subs...

Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/caa-australa...
Follow us on Facebook:   / caa.australasia  
Follow us on LinkedIn:   / 12708537  

#Archaeology #CAAA2025 #CAAAustralasia #DigitalArchaeology