Digital public archaeology in the UK - a review

Summary

This paper offers an overview of recent and emerging trends in digital public archaeology in the UK. It draws on examples of research and practice in public archaeology by academic, museum, amateur and professional archaeologists engaged in public engagement activities, as well as the emerging field of crowd-sourced and/or crowd-funded public archaeology in which digital public engagement has played a leading role. I take a sceptical view of some of the more extravagant claims made for digital public archaeology, and question the utility and - in particular - the sustainability of some categories of projects. The role of funders and in particular the Heritage Lottery Fund will be considered as a factor (and a potential hazard) in the growth of digital public archaeology, alongside the growing academic archaeological engagement with digital humanities. I hope that insights from the UK experience of the financial, cultural and knowledge economies of digital public archaeology will be of wider interest and value.

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This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Current Practice in Digital Public & Community Archaeology   •
• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage