In contemporary archaeology, we can identify a clash of two apparently antagonistic "paradigms": the "(re)turn to things" and the "digital turn". The latter has had great impact on archaeological museums, traditionally focused on material objects, and in this article I analyse this in terms of a phenomenon that I call "digital escapism". Digital escapism embraces ontological and epistemological questions that stem from the digital turn in archaeology - it might denote the dismissal of artefacts as subjects of scientific interest, or a shift in focus to digital methods as a means to creating an immersive past reality. It may also relate to big data in archaeology and the attempt to (re)connect this archaeology with science by way of informatics. My analysis of the exhibition presented in Rynek Underground, a museum in Krakow, provides a case study of digital escapism within museum space.
Digital archaeologists claim that their practices have proven to be an important tool for mediating conflict, ensuring that the digital turn in archaeology entails engaging in current political issues. This can be questioned by analysing a copy of the Syrian Arch of Triumph. The original was destroyed in 2015. A year later, a copy was carved out of Egyptian marble; the replica was constructed thanks to digital documentation, which allowed archaeologists to create a 3D model. The arch was placed in various Western locations; however, it never reached Syria. Hybridity, the cultural and political significance of the arch’s replica and its ‘Grand Tour’ invite us to think about different interpretive layers of this artefact of ideological discourse (ontological, epistemological, ethical). In this paper, the replica of the Syrian arch will be analysed through the frameworks of post-colonial theory and technology studies. Both perspectives provide an insight into promising advantages and alarming drawbacks of such digital practices. This paper argues that the case of a copy of the Syrian Arch of Triumph on the one hand reflects the contemporary colonial technocracy in heritage politics (an ethical dimension), and on the other demonstrates that an ideological aspect of its digital reconstruction emerges from a speculative anticipation of what might constitute the universal value of world heritage in the future (an onto-epistemological dimension).
Tekst jest próbą refleksji nad statusem dziedzictwa kulturowego w dobie antropocenu w odniesieniu do popularnego horyzontu nowego materializmu. Autorka stawia pytania o kondycję materialnych zabytków wobec przemian naturalnych i postnaturalnych, charakter tych metamorfoz, jak również potencjalne strategii dla dziedzictwa wobec destrukcji. Ilustracją dla powyższych refleksji jest przykład zintensyfikowanej erozji (post)naturalnej na stanowisku archeologicznym w jordańskiej Petrze. Rozważania te służą w dalszej kolejności do rewaluacji pojęcia materialnego dziedzictwa kulturowego przy użyciu perspektyw witalistycznego materializmu, sprawczego realizmu i teorii nomadycznego podmiotu. Refleksja nad dynamiką i biologizmem pozwala powiązać nową ontologię obiektów z alternatywnymi ścieżkami ochrony i opieki nad zabytkami.
This paper is an attempt to discuss the concept of lively heritage, based on examples of accidental encounters with animals at archaeological sites. The starting point of this study is criticism of the “sterilisation” or “sanitisation” of archaeological sites. Its theoretical discourse on sterilisation of the past begins with a brief reference to contemporary photography (Alfred Seiland’s “Imperium Romanum” series), which is contrasted with the innovative conservation strategy employed at the archaeological site in Agrigento, Sicily, and vital encounters with animals at selected Mediterranean archaeological sites: the Tombs of the Kings in Paphos, Cyprus, and the archaeological site of Soluntum, Sicily. By discussing my own ethnographic experiences of encountering animals that inhabit these two archaeological sites and how their presence helped me rethink the past and heritage, I challenge the concept of living heritage and propose in its place the term “lively heritage”, which extends beyond the confines of human-centred and institutionalised heritage, and argues that the prevailing meaning of heritage sites and their management remains limited to staged, constructed and sanitised notions of the past. Within this critical perspective, the actual embodied experience of visiting the sites while remaining attentive towards their hosts (various species of animals) opens up new possibilities for seeing lively heritage not only as biodiversity, but also as hospitality hubs.
OVERVIEWThe last 20 years mark a period of transformation from a traditional model of displaying archaeology to a more immersive model supported by digital and virtual media. The traditional model has generally used glass cases accompanied by extensive texts to inform visitors, whereas the immersive model employs digital media, tablets, virtual reality, and augmented reality to attract and engage a wide audience. In light of the recent enthusiasm for the latter, however, one must ask whether such immersive exhibitions are merely superficial means to make public institutions more attractive without having a meaningful impact on audience engagement. Polish archaeological museums provide interesting sites through which to explore this predicament. Here, digital upgrades are generously financed by national funds, so the traditional model of the archaeological museum in Poland is currently almost absent. In this short review, I aim to discuss one of the most interesting examples of temporary digital archaeological exhibitions organized between 2014 and 2019 in the Polish capital of Warsaw. I investigate its potential to engage audiences, ultimately concluding that it managed to create an interesting counterweight to traditional displays and respond to the drawbacks of new digital exhibitions through novel aesthetics and alternative archaeological storytelling.
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