This panel aims to explore the intricate social dynamics and cultural significance of archaeological excavations, offering a unique ethnographic perspective in public archaeology (Edgeworth, 2006; Shanks and Tilley, 1992; Merriman, 2004; Grima, 2016). Far from being mere locations for retrieving artifacts, archaeological sites are vibrant social spaces where diverse groups—including archaeologists, students, local communities, tourists, and stakeholders—interact. These interactions shape the interpretations of archaeological findings. The discussion will probe into how archaeologists make decisions, relate to one another, and to the broader community, aiming to understand the lifeworld of an archaeological site (Meskell, 2012). Observing acts of discovery sheds light on how the past and present are woven into the fabric of "the site," a concept whose boundaries as a locus for archaeological interpretation are also examined.

Moreover, archaeological sites serve as hubs for education, professional work, memory, pride, and legitimacy for individuals and institutions, including states and international bodies(Kyriakidis & Anagnostopoulos, 2015). They can be sites of diplomacy, identity branding, nationalism, tourism, and more, with the potential to be appropriated, contested, invented, misused, destroyed, enshrined, mythologized, and exploited. The excavation site invites us to traverse to the distant "worlds" of various pasts (Hamilakis, 2011).

Key discussion topics will focus on understanding ethnography's role in scrutinizing the social, cultural, and political facets of archaeological excavations and the engagement of community, state, media, NGOs, and diplomatic entities with archaeology, especially during significant discoveries. The panel will also examine the transformation of "common digs" into "monumental sites" for nations, as well as the perceptions and interactions of local communities with these sites. It will address ethical issues from site preservation to artifact handling and methodological concerns like licensing, surveying, excavation, protection, and interpretation. The panel seeks to offer deeper insights into the ties between archaeologists, archaeological sites and the local communities.