I’m a philosopher of the social and historical sciences, with particular interest in questions raised by archaeological research: How do we know what (we think) we know about the past? In particular, what counts as evidence in archaeological contexts? If values and interests play a role in all aspects of inquiry, in what sense is any knowledge ‘objective’? And, most pressing, how do we make research accountable – in its aims and practice – to the diverse communities it affects?

I got interested in these questions as an undergraduate at Mt. Allison University in the 1970s; the issues raised in the philosophy of science classes I took during the academic year came alive for me in the summers when I worked on a field crew at Fort Walsh (Saskatchewan) for Parks Canada in the summers. There’s more on this in a 2019 Transect podcast and in some recent lectures (e.g., 2020 AAAS Sarton Lecture).  I’ve since published on strategies of evidential reasoning in archaeology, research ethics, and feminist standpoint theory. Recently I’ve been exploring new lines of inquiry inspired by community-based collaborative partnerships between archaeologists and Indigenous communities.

I am current president of the Philosophy of Science Association, and past-president of the American Philosophical Association, Pacific Division.

Philosophy and history of archaeology; feminist philosophy of science; research ethics

Research Projects

Indigenous/Science | website
Archaeology Works: Exeter/UBC collaborative workshops
Standpoint Theory reconceptualized
The Philosophy Exception: Equity, Diversity, Inclusiveness

“Bearing Witness: An Archaeological Contribution in an Indian Residential School Context”: co-authored with E. Simons and A. Martindale, to appear in Honouring the Ancestors, ed. C. Meloche, K. Nichols, L. Spake (forthcoming).  | Preprint

“Triangulation and Traceability: Radiocarbon Dating in Archaeology”: in Data Journeys in the Sciences: Springer, 2020 | Preprint

“Crossing a Threshold: Collaborative Archaeology in Global Dialogue”: Archaeologies 2019 | Preprint

“Glastonbury: Today, Tomorrow, 2,250 Years Ago,” co-authored with R. Chapman: Extinct: The Philosophy of Paleontology Blog 2018.

“What Knowers Know Well: Standpoint Theory and the Formation of Gender Archaeology”: Scientiae Studia 2017 | Preprint

Evidential Reasoning in Archaeology, co-authored with R. Chapman, Bloomsbury, 2016 | ERA website | Bloomsbury

Material Evidence: Learning from Archaeological Practice, co-edited with R. Chapman, Routledge, 2015 | ME website | Routledge

Honours & awards

• 2020 AAAS Sarton Memorial Lecture in the History and Philosophy of Science
• 2019-2020 President, Philosophy of Science Association
• 2019 (elected) Corresponding Fellow, Australian Academy of the Humanities
• 2019 Saunders Memorial Lecture, Australian National Radio & Australasian Association of Philosophy
• 2018-2023: Canada Research Chair (tier 1) in Philosophy of the Social and Behavioural Sciences
• 2017 Dewey Lecturer, Pacific Division of the American Philosophical Association
• 2016 Solomon Katz Distinguished Lecture, University of Washington
• 2013 Distinguished Woman Philosopher of the Year, Society for Women in Philosophy
• 2011-2012 President, Pacific Division of the American Philosophical Association
• 2008 Patty Jo Watson Distinguished Lecturer, Archaeology Division, American Anthropological Association
• 1996-97 USC Teaching Honour Roll, University of Western Ontario
• 1995 Presidential Award, Society for American Archaeology, for contributions to the Committee for Ethics

Faculty Associate, Department of Anthropology

Professor, Department of Philosophy

Philosophy and history of archaeology; feminist philosophy of science; research ethics

Phone:  604 822 6574

Email:  alison.wylie@ubc.ca