Not All Archaeology is Equal: Public Archaeology and the Internet

Author(s): Lorna J Richardson

Year: 2013

Summary

Within Public Archaeology, there has been a critical cultural shift

towards awareness of the benefit of public engagement online.

A tendency towards 'cyber-Utopianism' would suggest that Internet

technologies can foster new dialogue, present community-constructed

knowledge, underpin new organisational relationships, whilst

redistributing access to cultural resources.

Although the democratisation of online communication and production have stretched the boundaries of belonging, critical observation of the extent and use of these technologies in the archaeological sector is lacking. This paper will look at the use of the Internet in Public Archaeology from a Bourdieuian perspective. It will emphasise how and why online archaeology is affected by the transference of advantage from institutions and elites in 'real-life', and discuss how issues of the digital divide, "socio-technical capital", and archaeological authority perpetuate the balance of inequalities of production, access, voice and community in online 'Public' Archaeology.

Cite this Record

Not All Archaeology is Equal: Public Archaeology and the Internet. Lorna J Richardson. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Leicester, England, U.K. 2013 ( tDAR id: 428322)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

min long: -8.158; min lat: 49.955 ; max long: 1.749; max lat: 60.722 ;

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 250