Unreal Archaeology: A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Studying and Communicating Archaeological Data
Salinas, Taylor A
Citations
Abstract
Collapse is a popular genre in both archaeology and the marketable media. Yet, misconceptions and problematic characterizations on the subject can cloud the general public’s understanding of collapse processes, a population’s participation in collapse, and the existence of post-collapse communities and periods. Likewise, our uncritical use of the term “collapse” can make us unsuspecting perpetuators of these myths. In a modernizing world, where education is easily accessible and information spreads through popular activities such as movies and video games, archaeologists can become active opponents to problematic and ill-informed narratives of collapse in the media. Collaborating with the Creative Media Industries Institute, this project explores a creative media approach to disseminating archaeological data on the post-collapse, terminal Middle Horizon (950 CE-1150 CE) settlement of Tumilaca la Chimba in the Moquegua Valley of Peru for encouraging engagement with the archaeological data as a digital resource for local heritage visibility. Along with learning the tools and becoming familiar with the industry, this thesis explores and promotes a multi-industry sub-discipline of archaeology trained to be active participants in archaeologically-informed media production and active proponents of ethical representation in popular media.
