High-Tech Storytelling in Archaeology

Recent advances in technology have dramatically transformed how archaeologists study and interpret the past. Techniques such as LiDAR, drone photography, and ground-penetrating radar are readily becoming standard components of an archaeologist’s toolkit alongside trowels, brushes, and picks. GIS software has become more powerful and easier to use, allowing archaeologists new ways of collecting, analyzing, managing, and communicating their data. Although these methodologies provide extraordinary potential, they also require a critical examination of their limitations. Furthermore, as archaeologists adopt more high-tech methodologies, they must negotiate challenges with data storage and visualization as well as the attention-grabbing headlines that often accompany the use of cutting-edge tools. This symposium highlights attempts to use 21st-century technology to explore ancient societies across the globe. Participants not only will demonstrate how various technologies have advanced our understanding of the past, but also they will reveal how they have (or have not) overcome difficulties using those technologies. In addition, participants will engage in a discussion of how to use high-tech storytelling in order to bring to life the stories of ancient peoples and cultures for a generation bred on tweets and viral videos.