Public Archaeology, Pedagogy, and Pragmatism: The Flint Archaeology and Spatial History (FLASH) Project

Summary

This is an abstract from the session entitled "Outreach and Education: Bringing it Home to the Public (General Sessions)" , at the 2021 annual meeting of the Society for Historical Archaeology.

The Flint Archaeology and Spatial History (FLASH) Project is an interdisciplinary collaboration between archaeologists, historians, and geographic information scientists. The project employs a series of publicly web-accessible GIS-based tools to augment public engagement, teaching, and research regarding the archaeology and history of Flint, MI. FLASH foregrounds the experience and persistence of African Americans, Native Americans, and other groups that have been underrepresented in popular narratives of Flint history that privilege the story of the automobile. Our pragmatic interdisciplinary approach maximizes resources within a teaching-focused university and provide both students and the public with tools to explore primary source material about Flint’s archaeology and history in a visual, mutually contextualized environment. The successful launch of the project in a postindustrial community during the COVID-19 pandemic showcases the value of the spatial humanities as a tool for archaeologists to conduct research and outreach in challenging environments.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Outreach and Education: Bringing it Home to the Public (General Sessions)   •
• Society for Historical Archaeology 2021

Keywords

Individual & Institutional Roles

Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology