Archaeological Awareness Research Articles

Surfaces of 20th century facades: reflections 1 on their archaeological awareness

The archaeological approach to the study of elevations is applied here to 20th-century architecture. In particular, post-World War II facades are examined through several case studies. This research uses the method of the archaeology of architecture: the meticulous attention to materials, workmanship, and technological devices, the examination of the socio-economic context, and the analysis of the motivations behind specific choices. These elements contribute to discovering the history of an artefact in a given period of time as completely as possible. The archaeology of architecture has been widely experimented on historical buildings since the 1970s; very rare has been the application to the study of contemporary buildings. The authors, on the basis of the research already started in 2018, at this stage of the study seek to further develop the topic under investigation, also with comparisons on a broader national and international scale. The architectural surfaces of the second half of the 20th century are analyzed here by studying individual components on the facades: the colour and texture of the plaster, any tile, wood, or stone coverings, or the exposed concrete work. The final aim is to develop an overall method of investigation that considers the specificity of the period examined and the possible adaptation of analysis tools that can help in the archaeological study of these contemporary architectures.

Mystery of Sunken Antiquities and its Effect in Promoting Tourism in Egypt: Case Study Alexandria Governorate-

Alexandria is characterized by many tourist attractions such as Qaitbay Castle, The library of Alexandria, the Sawari Column, the Burial chambers of Kom Al-Shoqafa, the Roman Amphitheater, the Temple of El-Ras El-soda, in addition to the sites of sunken antiquities...etc. that lead to the revitalization of the tourist movement in the city. In general, the beaches of Alexandria, particularly Abu Qir Bay and the Eastern Port area, are filled with treasures of sunken antiquities that have been sunk by natural phenomena for 15 centuries, particularly earthquakes that have thrown many of Alexandria’s buildings, palaces, and castles into the sea. Sunken Antiquities in Alexandria are located in eight sites which are the area of Qaitbay, the eastern port and outside the eastern port to Sidi Bishr Beach, the Area of Abu Qir Bay, the site of Nelson Island, and the location of the western port. The main data collection method involved in-depth, semi-structured interviews with government officials and expert divers at main diving centers in Alexandria, and second phase involved three focus groups with tourism companies’ managers. The paper recommends that the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities in cooperation with The Center for Sunken Marine Antiquities in Alexandria should disseminate the archaeological awareness of marine antiquities and how to preserve them in schools, through the presentation of movies about sunken antiquities, and models simulations.

The Etruscans: Setting New Agendas

The Etruscans, who dominated central Italy for much of the first half of the first millennium BC, are ripe for new analysis: the quantity of data for their culture is now substantial, wide ranging, and qualifies for large-scale comparison. In this paper, we survey how research in the last decade has affected our understanding of settlements, of changing models of the transfer of ideas, and of Etruscan religious behavior, among other topics. We place them into complex spatial, architectural, and economic narratives to show that the interplay between microhistorical case studies and macrohistorical trends has now achieved what ought to be a paradigmatic status. Despite the continuous flow of specialist publications and an industry of exhibitions, however, the Etruscans have not broken through into mainstream archaeological awareness. We argue that this could be achieved if future research becomes more thematic and agenda driven and embraces comparative study.

Beni Suef- Pearl of Upper Egypt- and its Role in Sustainable Tourism Development

Beni Suef province is one of the most promising provinces in Upper Egypt, characterized by a strategic location, integrated vision and executive expertise that contribute to put the province on the investment and tourism map. Beni Suef is one of the most important provinces located south of Egypt's capital, Cairo, with many important touristic attraction places in the province. It is characterized by the presence of many Pharaonic, Islamic, and Coptic relics, as well as a museum containing many monuments from different periods such as Roman, Pharaonic, Greek, Coptic and Islamic, in addition to Wadi Sannor Cave Protectorate Area, where this cave dates back 65 million years. The main data collection method involved in-depth, semi-structured interviews with government officials at General Authority of Tourism Development, second phase involved a questionnaire administrated to students at the faculty of tourism and hotels- Beni Suef University, where third phase involved a questionnaire conducted with a sample of citizens in Beni Suef governorate. The paper recommends that the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities should merge Beni Suef governorate in the path of the Holy Family as an attractive tourism product, where the governorate is considered a link between the points of the path of the Holy Family located in Cairo (at the Virgin Church in Maadi) and the same track points located in Minya (the first of which is Jabal Al-Tair), also, Beni Suef governorate in collaboration with the General Authority of Tourism Development should spread tourism and archaeological awareness among the masses of the citizens of Beni Suef adjacent to tourist and archaeological sites in order to cooperate easily with tourists.

Foreword: Issues and Creative Strategies in Archaeological Heritage Conservation, Education, and Management

This publication is a compilation of papers presented at the panel discussion of the same title at the 21st Congress of the Indo-Pacific Prehistoric Association at the Huong Giang Hotel in Hue, Vietnam on September 24, 2018. It is inspired by the Editors’ advocacy of instilling archaeological awareness and heritage literacy to communities in which archaeological sites are situated.

An Unpublished Stela of Kharu and his wife Ty in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo (Temp. No. 11.1.25.7) لوحة غیر منشورة للمدعو خارو و زوجته تی فى المتحف المصری بالقاهرة (رقم مؤقت 11.1.25.7)

The rock art in the wadi Nasib are among the most important archaeological sites in South Sinai because The valley contained various inscriptions dating back to the prehistoric period until The new kingdom. It was discovered by the South Sinai Antiquities area. It includes many different incised and engraved rock inscriptions, where most of the Rock Art suffer from different phenomena of deterioration reaching disintegrating and cracking. Some of methods of examinations and analysis were done on the rock art case study, such as the Stereo-Microscope, polarized microscope PLM, Scanning Electron Microscope SEM-EDX, X-ray fluorescence XRF and X-ray diffraction XRD to know the mineral composition and its changes that occurred and explain the manifestations of the deterioration of the rock inscriptions in Wadi Nasib in South Sinai. The research proved that the rock inscriptions suffer from different phenomena of deterioration as fracture, cracking, scaling, peeling, fragmentation, honey comb, crystallization of salts on the surface and inside cracks, as well as weakness and fragile of sandstone being poor mineral composition, and decomposition of cementing material due to physio-chemical weathering processes, and because of falling The rock, which carries many inscriptions by mechanical weathering and Earthquakes, the man-made deterioration is the writings on the surface of the rock art with a sharp instrument or writing with the soot or chalk due to the poor archaeological awareness of the people, most phenomena of physio-chemical deterioration to the stone art in wadi Nasib is Direct and indirect dynamic and static deterioration factors being the site is a desert environment . Based on the results of scientific studies , The results of tests and analysis and Field survey, The restoration and conservation of rock art from the registration , documentation and the restoration have done by selection of suitable materials and methods appropriating to the nature of the damage of rock inscriptions in South Sinai, such as the use of mechanical cleaning methods with hand tools and chemical cleaning method where a mixture of acetone and Toluene ratio of 1: 2 was used to remove the clay soil sediments, mechanically and chemically extraction of salts are done using a poultice of distilled water then EDTA, and consolidating of rock art using The mixture of Nano Silica and Wacker H by Methods of spraying and brushing. The Research finds the need to raise the archaeological awareness of the people and specialists as one of the tools for preserving the rock art in Sinai , Rehabilitating the site and its developing for sustainable development, and placing it on the tourist map because it represents archaeological and historical importance in South Sinai. تتناول هذه الدراسة اللوحة الجنائزية للمدعو خارو و زوجته. اللوحة، التى توجد حاليا فى الطابق السفلي بالمتحف المصري بالقاهرة (رقم مؤقت 11.1.25.7)، تعود إلى عصر الرعامسة، بينما مصدرها الأصلي غير مؤکد. تشتمل اللوحة على ثلاثة أقسام، تصور صاحب اللوحة مع عائلته أمام أوزيريس، وإيزيس، وإلهة شجرة الجميز. وتهدف الدراسة إلى فهم أفضل للتقسيم الموضوعي لهذه اللوحة الجنائزية وتحديد صاحبها وعائلته.

Re-Presenting the Past: A New Archaeological Outreach Strategy for the Canadian Territory of Nunavut

AbstractIn 2013, an Arctic-based organization known as the Inuit Heritage Trust spearheaded a new campaign to increase archaeological awareness in the Canadian territory of Nunavut. While Nunavut remains an Inuit-centered territory—founded on the knowledge and values that have long sustained its predominantly Inuit population—the rules and regulations surrounding archaeological resources are largely grounded in more scientific, and distinctly non-Inuit, valuations of the past. For multiple reasons, Inuit and non-Inuit traditions for understanding and preserving heritage resources have proved difficult to reconcile, despite numerous attempts at community outreach programs and the regular hosting of archaeological fieldschools. For many Inuit, the methodological and impersonal approach to history endorsed by incoming archaeologists remains a foreign concept. This paper will present a series of community resources developed as part of the Inuit Heritage Trust’s new archaeological awareness campaign, produced in partnership with archaeologists Brendan Griebel and Tim Rast. These resources seek to address the question of how to educate about Nunavut’s past through a framework that aligns with the interests and realities of both professional archaeologists and Inuit populations. To date, this campaign has produced two unique resources: the first, a guidebook series that explores archaeology’s relevance to community members, students and heritage workers in Nunavut, and the second, a portable excavation and experimental archaeology kit. While the campaign does not intend to change the way that either Inuit or archaeologists value the past, it does attempt to create a mutual awareness of differing worldview so that both groups might better navigate the complex landscape of regulation and interaction ascribed to Nunavut’s heritage resources.

Is It Possible to Develop and Maintain Archaeological Awareness and Knowledge in a Small Town in Poland?

Is It Possible to Develop and Maintain Archaeological Awareness and Knowledge in a Small Town in Poland?

Exploring an Archaeology of the Dutch War of Independence in Flanders, Belgium

The archaeology of the Dutch War of Independence (1568–1648) in Flanders bears great potential in contributing to the European debate on early modern transformations and in raising public awareness of archaeology as a whole. Thus far, early modern features were however mostly incidentally found on multi-period sites and not as a result from specific research questions. An inventory of sites in the Zwin-Scheldt estuary illustrates the impact of the troubles on the archaeological record. These observations give rise to new research questions that, in turn, form the basis for the discipline to establish itself as a fully fledged academic research field and allow for it to be treated of equal value in the selections made by heritage officers.

The National Museums' Archeticture between Designers Vision and National Cultural Objectives , A Case Study of both the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the Grand Egyptian Museum

This study focused on a common phenomenon, which is that the architecture of national museums and their internal spaces are designed according to the viewpoint of the architects of those museums and their own vision, based on personal ideas and concepts only, without being compatible with the national cultural goals of the nations and peoples who own those museums. The study used the descriptive and analytical method to study how cultural national goals can govern museum architecture as an alternative to the individual formulations of the designer with limited viewpoints. The study begins with defining the concept of the museum, the scientific definition as a cultural, educational and entertainment center, with an indication of its various functions of preserving, maintaining, and disseminating archaeological awareness, information and others, then discussing what is known as the museum system and its three elements, namely the human being, the museum’s holdings and the museum’s architecture, and from there it proceeds to study the common link between the elements of the symbolic system. The three, which is the symbol as an alphabetical unit of expression and dialogue between the visitor, the museum display and the museum architecture, and through it the national cultural goals of the National Museum and its nation are presented, with an explanation of what the expression and meaning are, and the clarification of the expression mechanisms in architecture in general between direct frankness and hidden symbolism, and then exposure in detail to The foundations of the science of "semiotics" as the science concerned with symbol and the various mechanisms of expression, especially in architecture and pictorial works of art. Therefore, it is necessary to examine the foundations of "hermeneutics", which is the science of reading and interpreting the meanings of different symbols. Through these foundations, the subject was analyzed and read the meanings of the architecture of the Jewish Museum in Berlin and the Grand Egyptian Museum to determine the extent to which the design of their architecture and their internal spaces are compatible with the national cultural goals of their two nations through the museum system, as it appears after the discussion that the architecture of the Jewish Museum in Berlin "is a symbolic embodiment of the journey of the diaspora of the Jewish people, starting from the event of their exit from ancient Egypt to the event of their ordeal in Europe with Nazi Germany during World War II, which came in line with the national cultural goals and the actual purpose of establishing the museum. As for the architecture of the" Grand Egyptian "museum, it is A symbolic embodiment of the journey of the ancient Jews exiting from ancient Egypt to their new home in the land of "Palestine" and their construction there their sacred temple after their construction is the greatest features of ancient Egypt’s civilization, considering the event of the exodus and the forced labor of the ancient Jews in ancient Egypt the most important event in all ancient Egyptian history from the point of view of designers The museum is what qualifies it to be represented in the architecture of the "Great Egyptian" Museum, which contradicts in total and detail the national cultural goals of the Egyptian nation that the museum was built for approval. Then the results came The research decides to follow the designers of the architecture of the Jewish Museum in "Berlin" to the cultural national goals of the nation that owns this museum. As for the designers of the architecture of the "Great Egyptian" museum, they steered far from the cultural national goals of the nation that owns this museum. Rather, their design for the museum and its cultural mission contradicts the established historical and scientific facts.

Culture Heritage and the Idea of Jordan Museums

The idea of collecting valued objects dates back to the period prior to the arrival of Islam, Arabs having traditionally placed precious things inside the Kaaba in Mecca for religious purposes .The idea of establishing museums in Jordan and the region started after Europeans began to turn their attention to the antiquities and traditional objects of the Arab world, whether as Christian missionaries, colonists or private individuals. In Jordan, the Department of Antiquities was established and participated in protecting the movable and immovable cultural heritage, which led to the establishment of museums. The DOA created museums throughout the country to spread the awareness of archaeology and heritage and to house archaeological objects. However, Jordanian museums developed slowly, as a result of a lack of interest and awareness, unqualified staff with inadequate power structures, political instability, poor economic conditions, the fact that publicly-run bodies do not benefit from their own income, and the absence of official associations or museum councils.

Learning archaeology: Another story

Developing more effective teaching and learning approaches is an important aspect of disciplinary practice and will require archaeologists to undertake a scholarly exploration of educational theory and methods, areas as yet unfamiliar to most. Here, I argue for this undertaking through an exploration of the role of narrative in teaching and learning. Although often undefined, the term ‘narrative’ has been addressed by archaeologists from a range of theoretical persuasions to argue for different research and interpretive perspectives as well as to acknowledge the value of narrative for developing public awareness of archaeology. However, such projects are primarily aimed outside the discipline: to provide socially responsible information about the past and to generate and maintain public support. There has been a dearth of attention given to the possible ways that narrative can be used to educate archaeologists to better equip them to engage with their professional responsibilities. Here, I outline theoretical considerations for the use of narrative in education and suggest some research approaches for improved teaching and learning in archaeology.

Samian Pottery, a Resource for the Study of Roman Britain and Beyond: the results of the English Heritage funded Samian Project. An e-monograph

Samian: the resource Samian pottery (terra sigillata) is one of the best-quality data sources available for research in the Roman period. Its wide distribution, standardised typology and comparatively close dating combine to make this artefact class particularly amenable to analytical approaches. Examination of its archaeological occurrence reveals dimensions of patterning that provide a unique and exciting window upon the character of society and cultural practice during the Roman era. Earlier phases of the project conducted in the late 1990s, funded by English Heritage, included a pilot survey which had verified the reliability and utility of the project methodologies, and a research synthesis which brought new light to bear on this familiar material type of the Roman era. The findings arising from these stages have been published previously (Willis 1997; 1998). The results of this project, as presented here, demonstrate how study of this material resource can contribute, and in a number of areas transform, our knowledge of the period. The project has had a strong synthesising and analytical imperative, with the intention of bringing together existing knowledge of samian to ensure fuller use of this valuable asset. The potential has hitherto been somewhat 'hidden', being compartmentalised within site reports and other publications, there having been only limited opportunities in the past for the distillation of the archaeology of samian beyond dating. (Samian is a key indicator of chronology in the early and mid Roman period in North-West Europe and will remain so. A developing archaeological awareness of the era, however, will be strongly enhanced through examination of other facets of samian data). Samian distribution and group composition is here shown to be a source of valuable information, which may be effectively harnessed to shed light upon a series of aspects of Roman Britain, with resonance beyond the province of Britannia. Project aims and results This study was directed towards making the best use of samian evidence as a key resource for exploring a range of questions in Roman archaeology. The study collates a large body of data and applies hitherto under-utilised methods in an endeavour to extract archaeological information from this material, particularly in the key areas of dating, the social distribution of samian and cultural practice. One avenue in respect of dating has been to explore the extent to which trends in the composition of groups of samian, in terms of forms present, may be used as a guide towards establishing the date of a group without having to depend heavily upon the dating of stamps and diagnostic decorated sherds, which may be comparatively rare. It is intended that the resulting guide, presented here, proves to be an accessible and straightforward tool for the non-specialist user. The project, moreover, aimed to move beyond the essential role of samian in providing 'dates', to exploit its evident high potential for elucidating aspects of cultural and economic life during the Roman era. Findings from analyses undertaken in a series of such areas are published here. The research, indeed, sheds light on a wide variety of aspects of Roman Britain. The nature, for instance, of samian supply to Britain is examined. It was intended that the project dataset would provide a flexible tool which readers themselves were able to access so that they may pursue their own questions (view database online), and/or with which they may compare their own samian groups, by reference to a corpus of data collected from a range of sites across Britain covering all appropriate periods (go to the ADS archive to download spreadsheets). In one highly significant finding, the collected data demonstrate how the character of site samian assemblages is strongly related to site type, status, function, exchange connections and identity. Previous work for the project has indicated that the incidence of samian is often patterned. The present study further defines the extent to which there are 'normal patterns' (or parameters) of samian occurrence by time, region and site type. A framework guide to the 'normal patterns' identified by the project and with which specific site assemblages and stratified groups can be compared is presented as a summary in section 13.1.2 of the article. While focusing on samian, the project has aimed to locate samian within its broader context. Hence project objectives and discussion of findings are integrated with the present general research aims in the study of the Roman era in western Europe. Throughout the study it was intended that the work be directed and relevant to themes in the archaeological investigation of the period, rather than be just specific to samian studies: this is appropriate since samian is part of a wider nuanced record of life in Roman Britain. Samian is here considered in a wide range of fields; it is striking how richly patterned and illuminating this evidence proves to be.

A Children's Museum exhibit on the 1554 flota wrecks

The fruits of the archaeologist’s labour, if one is fortunate, go beyond the academic realm of journal articles and monographs. A museum exhibit, for example, can reach far more people at many different levels of interest and awareness of archaeology. There have been four formal exhibits on the 1554 flota wrecks off Padre Island, Texas (Arnold and Weddle, 1976). In this article we will briefly mention all four and then describe the Austin Children’s Museum exhibit.

A Public Relations Primer

The Public Relations Committee of the Society for American Archaeology, in seeking ways to promote the Society and increase public awareness of archaeology, commissioned this "do-it-yourself" guide to the print media, principally newspapers. For demonstrative purposes, the short-paragraph format used conforms stylistically to that used in journalism.