Interpreting archaeology to the public: four case studies

Abstract

Archaeology is a discipline that covers a broad spectrum of human history and culture related studies. "It is a discipline that stands for where we have come from, for our history in the broad sense and in a direct way that documentary history often cannot do" (Chippendale 1996: 43). Archaeology is an interpretive discipline; its practitioners interpret the use of the objects in lifeways of the past based on their presence in context with other materials and their environment. Through examination of environmental contexts, tool development, subsistence patterns, and patterns of mobility, archaeologists develop culture histories.

Based on a literature review and personal experience, this thesis develops a set of criteria for evaluating archaeological interpretations. The framework of original criteria was used to analyse four case studies (Hyde Park Barracks, Sydney; Museum of Sydney; Port Arthur Historic Site, Tasmania; and Yankee Hat Rock Art Site, Namadgi National Park, Canberra) revealing what works or does not work for those places. In addition to specific issues pertinent to archaeology, the analyses show that there are general failures and successes in archaeological interpretations that are common to all heritage interpretations.

Date of Award	2003
Original language	English