ABSTRACT
Transgressive archaeologies are approaches to presenting the archaeological past that are outside the conventional scholarly mode. It relates to queering archaeology and Queer Theory. Although the transgressive few use a variety of modes, they have some common goals: to engage the audience's emotions and senses, and to inject some playfulness into earnest academic settings. Many performances take place at venues set aside by custom for highly ritualized contests of intellectual acuity academic conferences. The responses to transgressive performances at archaeological conferences range from puzzlement to joy, from thoughtful to grumpy. The supremely dismissive proclaim that the mode is acceptable for outreach to the public. Indeed, the distinction between public and professional products is fully institutionalized and is actually codified in the government regulations that control CRM. Transgressive approaches unlock the archaeological imagination that makes that step possible by helping us to see possibilities outside the familiar academic divisions.
