Digging through Darkness: Chronicles of an Archaeologist

by Carmel Schrire

In Digging Through Darknes, Carmel Schrire interweaves art and fact to recreate a distant world. Tracking the broad sweep of European expansion into Africa, Australia, and the Pacific, Schrire focuses on the evidence unearthed in archaeological sites, leading the reader through a wealth of strata and artifacts, to see how inferences may be drawn from heaps of broken bones and stones. This interweaving gives voice not only to the literate colonists but also to illiterate native people who endured dispossession in silence.

Genres: Archaeology

276 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Marty Steyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

If an in-depth, academic piece is what you’re looking for - Digging Through Darkness is not the book for you. It reminded me more of nights sitting around a campfire listening to stories of days gone by.

Schrire stitches together personal experiences, site reports, and archival snippets to paint a picture of the interactions between indigenous people from the Cape to Australia (ok, Australia plays a tiny part) and colonialists. The author’s stories gain a sort of credibility by her consistently showing how archaeological artifacts can shine light on the daily lives of historical figures, as well as including local language and humor (which I think most non-Saffers or Aussies might find hard to appreciate).

While these stories are entertaining, I felt like it was disjointed at times. I found myself questioning how a specific tale adds to the overall goal of tackling the weighty themes that are associated with colonialism. I’ll be honest, I finished this book with not much more
knowledge about archaeology nor a stronger perspective about the current colonialist
debate.

My high-ish rating is mostly driven by the surprise of not having to struggle through a dense scholarly read, but also because I have personal ties with both regions, which made it feel like home.