#Archeology: Loose Lips Save Slave Ships?

Summary

The discovery of the hulk of an 18th-century sailing ship during archeological excavations at the Hotel Indigo site in the City of Alexandria, Virginia attracted the attention of local, national and international corporate media and trended on social media sites. Reflecting on this project’s 15 minutes of fame and media attention associated with other recent high-profile archeological projects in the Washington D.C. metro area, various issues including unequal access to media, knowledge, and heritage; the role of archeology in effecting social change; crowdsource funding for preservation efforts; and the risks and rewards for media-engaged archeologists are considered. Analysis of the generation and consumption of media reports and public reaction on the street and in the online space during the Hotel Indigo excavations and similar media-involved projects may also assist in better understanding archeology as a public endeavor and archeological knowledge production and popularization through media communication in the 21st century. 

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Archeology Begins Along the Waterfront in Old Town Alexandria   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2017

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Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology

Record Identifiers

PaperId(s): 692