The Jászkakasok – Community Archaeology in the Jászság
The Jászkakasok are a community archaeology group affiliated with the Jász Museum, working with volunteers to research, protect, and interpret the archaeological heritage of the Jászság. The group was founded on the recognition that the region’s rich network of archaeological sites can be investigated and safeguarded effectively only through broader community cooperation.
Their activities form part of the museum’s professional work: they take part in field surveys, monitored metal-detecting research, and documentation, in compliance with current regulations and under the museum’s professional supervision. The finds recovered enrich the collections of the Jász Museum and are processed together with the site data.
This work is not limited to rescue collecting. The Jászkakasok also play an important awareness-raising role, communicating the importance of responsible heritage stewardship through programmes and demonstrations. Their work has given new momentum to archaeological research in the Jászság, especially for the Roman and medieval periods: community-based data collection provides a more accurate picture of settlement patterns and networks of connections, and the results are returned to the public through exhibitions, lectures, and publications.
The example of the Jászkakasok shows that archaeology is a shared responsibility: understanding and preserving the past is most successful when the local community is an active partner in it.
