Paper, Video, Internet: New Technologies for Research and Teaching in Archaeology: The Sphakia Survey

Abstract: Archaeology has always been a multimedia discipline in terms of teaching and publication. From the earliest days of archaeology as an academic subject, archaeologists have used museum collections, slides, and actual site visits as well as 'chalk and talk' for teaching. Archaeological publications are almost always illustrated. The Sphakia Survey is an interdisciplinary archaeological project whose main objective is to reconstruct the sequence of human activity in a remote and rugged part of Crete (Greece), from ca 3000 BC to AD 1900. In addition to preliminary reports, we have published specialised articles on paper, and part of the final publication will also be in hard copy. But in order to reach other, broader audiences, we have used two other modes of publication... This paper examines the impact of video and the Internet on the work of the Survey. It concludes that these new technologies add new opportunities, though not always those that one might expect; and that they make it possible to do things better, in connection with research, teaching, and dissemination of results, both to academic and to general audiences. Editors: Stuart Lee. Interactive demonstrations: Links to external web sites.