Presenting the Past (The Archaeologist's Toolkit, V. 7)

177 Pages·2003·11.37 MB·English

by  Larry J. Zimmerman

PRESENTING THE PAST
ARC HAE O LOG I ST'S TOO 1K IT
SERIES EDITORS: LARRY 1. ZIMMERMAN AND WILLIAM GREEN
The Archaeologist's Toolkit is an integrated set of seven volumes
designed to teach novice archaeologists and students the basics of
doing archaeological fieldwork, analysis, and presentation. Students
are led through the process of designing a study, doing survey work,
excavating, properly working with artifacts and biological remains,
curating their materials, and presenting findings to various audi-
ences. The volumes-written by experienced field archaeologists-
are full of practical advice, tips, case studies, and illustrations to
help the reader. All of this is done with careful attention to pro-
moting a conservation ethic and an understanding of the legal and
practical environment of contemporary American cultural resource
laws and regulations. The Toolkit is an essential resource for any-
one working in the field and ideal for training archaeology students
in classrooms and field schools.
Volume 1: Archaeology by Design
By Stephen L. Black and Kevin 1olly
Volume 2: Archaeological Survey
By Tames M. Collins and Brian Leigh Molyneaux
Volume 3: Excavation
By David L. Carmichael and Robert Lafferty
Volume 4: Artifacts
By Charles R. Ewen
Volume 5: Archaeobiology
By Kristin D. Sobolik
Volume 6: Curating Archaeological Collections:
From the Field to the Repository
By Lynne P. Sullivan and S. Terry Childs
Volume 7: Presenting the Past
By Larry 1. Zimmerman
P R E S E N T I N G THE P A S T
LARRY ). ZIMMERMAN
ARC HAEOLOC IS T’S TOOLKIT
VOLUME 7
ALTAMIRA
P R E S S
A Division of Rowman el Littlefield Publishers, Inc
Walnut Creek Lanham New York Oxford
For Karen Zimmerman, who more than
thirty years ago pointed out that archaeology
is mostly science fiction. She was right.
ALTAMIRPAR ESS
A Division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
1630 North Main Street, #367
Walnut Creek, CA 94596
www.altamirapress.com
Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
A Division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200
Lanham, MD 20706
PO Box 317
Oxford
OX2 9RU, UK
Copyright 0 2003 by ALTAMIRPAR ESS
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any
means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the prior permission of the publisher.
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-PublicationD ata
Zimmerman, Larry J. 1947-
Presenting the past / Larry J. Zimmerman
p. cm.-(The archaeologist's toolkit ; v. 7)
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 0-7591-0403-4( cloth : alk. paper) - ISBN 0-7591-0025-X( pbk. : alk.
paper)
1. Archaeology-Methodology. 2. Archaeology-Public relations. 3. Communication
of technical information-Handbooks, manuals, etc. 4. Communication of technical
information-Audio-visual aids. 5. Public speaking-Handbooks, manuals, etc. 6.
Report writing-Handbooks, manuals, etc. I. Title. Series.
II.
CC75.7 ,256 2003
808'.06693--dc2 1 2002152407
Printed in the United States of America
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American
National Standard for Information Sciences-Permanence of Paper for Printed Library
Materials, ANSI/NISO 239.48-1992.
@
<ONTENTS
Series Editors’ Foreword
ix
...
Acknowledgments Xlll
1 Out of Site, Out of Mind? 1
Making Excuses Plan of the Book
Recognizing Our Audiences 7
2
Ethics and Accountability Educating Our Students
Public Accountability: What Do Different Audiences
Want and Need! Archaeological Style and the Real
World Jargon
3 Choosing the Right Medium 15
Who Is My Intended Audience! What Are My
Contractual or Other Obligations to These
Audiences! What Kind of Budget Do I Have to
Prepare My Work! Given These Factors, What
Media Are Available to Me! What Will It Cost to
Distribute My Work to the Intended Audiences!
Conclusion
4 Developing Needed Skills and Tools 21
Basic Writing Skills Beyond the Basics of Writing
Dealing with References Conclusion
V
vi CONTENTS
5 Computers and Presenting the Past 41
Basic Computer Skills You’ll Need Advanced Skills
You’ll Need Computer Hardware Software
Learning Curves Conclusion
6 Visual Archaeology 47
The Cultural Life of Images Photographs versus
Drawings Tools
7 Lone Ranger or Team Player? 59
Developing the Team Outsourcing Work or Hiring
In-House
8 Publish or Perish? Communicating with Colleagues 65
Abstracts Conference Papers and Public Talks
Poster Papers! How to Decide and How to Deliver
Electronic Sessions Organizing and Chairing a
Session Conclusion
9 From Presented to Printed 91
CRM Reports Tournal Articles and Book Chapters
Books and Monographs Publishing and Career
Development
10 Bringing the Past to Life and Presenting It with Style 109
Hands-on Learning Promotes Understanding Action
Is Better Than Description Games and Toys
Archaeological Fiction Cartoons Movies and
Videos: Live Action versus Documentary Public
Archaeology Events Exhibits and Museums
11 Media Method or Media Madness? 121
With Friends Like the Media, Who Needs Enemies!
Attitudes Learn Something about Media Finding
a Hook Deciding When to Go Public Getting
Noticed Other Advice and Cautions Ethics,
Contexts, and Professional Responsibility Conclusion
12 The Future of Presenting the Past 135
Archaeology on the Web CD-ROMs and DVDs
Storyboarding: A Crucial Concept for Websites and
CONTENTS vii
CDslDVDs Interactivity: Bringing the Past to Life
Conclusion
Appendix: Some Archaeology Journals on the Web 145
References 147
Index 153
About the Author and Series Editors 161
This Page Intentionally Left Blank
@
SERIES EDITORS FOREWORD
Th e Archaeologist’s Toolkit is a series of books on how to plan,
design, carry out, and use the results of archaeological research.
The series contains seven books written by acknowledged experts in
their fields. Each book is a self-contained treatment of an important
element of modern archaeology. Therefore, each book can stand
alone as a reference work for archaeologists in public agencies, pri-
vate firms, and museums, as well as a textbook and guidebook for
classrooms and field settings. The books function even better as a
set, because they are integrated through cross-references and com-
plementary subject matter.
Archaeology is a rapidly growing field, one that is no longer the ex-
clusive province of academia. Today, archaeology is a part of daily life
in both the public and private sectors. Thousands of archaeologists
apply their knowledge and skills every day to understand the human
past. Recent explosive growth in archaeology has heightened the need
for clear and succinct guidance on professional practice. Therefore,
this series supplies ready reference to the latest information on meth-
ods and techniques-the tools of the trade that serve as handy guides
for longtime practitioners and essential resources for archaeologists
in training.
Archaeologists help solve modern problems: They find, assess, re-
cover, preserve, and interpret the evidence of the human past in light
of public interest and in the face of multiple land use and develop-
ment interests. Most of North American archaeology is devoted to
cultural resource management (CRM),s o the Archaeologist’s Toolkit
focuses on practical approaches to solving real problems in CRM and
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