24th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) in Barcelona (Spain)

2018

Aurelia Basterrechea, Ellinor Dunning, Hugo Cousino and Sofia Fonseca co-organised a session entitled "Traditional and (alternative) new media: different ways tocommunicate upon Archaeology" at the annual conference of the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) which took place in Barcelona, from 5 to 8 September 2018. This session aimed to discuss and present the ways in which archaeologists and amateurs can communicate with the general public using Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The session was a real success. The eight presentations of various kinds addressed the theme of the session from different angles (communication on archaeological sites, on the internet, via social networks, via collective data platforms, etc.). The presentations were followed by a workshop inviting the participants and the audience to discuss questions related to the theme of the session: what are the roles of archaeology and heritage in society and what do the participants of the session think of their own roles; what are the roles of Do it yourself (DIY) science and of non-experts in transmission; what tensions exist between virtuality/imaginaries and realities, or how to reanimate the past with the help of technologies?

Aurélia Basterrechea participated by presenting a reflection on archaeology and its representation on the free video platform Youtube entitled "Popularising archaeology: issues & potentiality of new transmission tools". This analysis, co-written with the journalist Hugo Cousino, questioned the Do it yourself (DIY) science and the ins and outs of the professionalisation of a transmission approach through several French-speaking personalities approaching historical sciences in an offbeat manner (Nota Bene, Dirty Biology, Charlie Danger, etc.). In doing so, the authors question the social phenomenon that is being built around these popularisation professionals, whether trained in the discipline or not, and consider the platform as a place of participatory exchange with its strengths, constraints and weaknesses. Finally, this transmission tool is not just a virtual and less legitimate parallel to the work of institutions that traditionally hold knowledge: many museums now use this mode of short, entertaining, federative videos to invite a new public to discover their collections.

Cynthia Dunning Thierstein, Sanjin Mihelic and Annemarie Willems co-organised the round table "(National) Perspectives On The Significance And Effects Of The International Cultural Tourism Charter. From Theory To Practice In Archaeological Tourism". The aim was to see if the theory represented in the ICOMOS International Charter could be put into practice and what tools were needed for application in the different countries.

24th Annual Meeting of the European Association of Archaeologists (EAA) in Barcelona (Spain)

Related content