Making the Most of the Medium of Film to Create Alternative Narratives about the Past and its Investigation (2009)

My paper for this publication is based on the paper that I presented at the World Archaeological Congress in Dublin in July 2008. This version was presented at the Kineon Conference and Festival of Archaeological Film “How do the media represent archaeology, what is at stake?” held in Brussels, Belgium in November 2009.  This paper describes the Archaeological Film Database, now available through any Web browser, in which many of the 600 films about the products as well as the processes of archaeological research have been subjected to a critical analysis through the efforts of several Media and Archaeology courses that I designed and taught at UC Berkeley 2005-2010.  The critical analysis follows Media Literacy criteria, which is one of the pedagogical and research themes that have provided the focus for my post-retirement activities. 

Abstract

There is no doubt that narratives told by moving images and immersive and evocative sound have an immensely powerful impact on their audiences. Films  – whether documentary, docudrama, or feature – play an important role in creating and sustaining mainstream narratives about the past and how archaeologists investigate the past. This role, however, is a subversive one in that such films have as their official purpose entertainment or, at least, edutainment. This paper describes the University of California, Berkeley Archaeological Film Database, now available through any Web browser, in which many of the 600 films about the products as well as the processes of archaeological research have been subjected to a critical analysis through the efforts of several Media and Archaeology courses at the university.  The critical analysis follows Media Literacy criteria, including analysis of authorship, funding, distribution, sub-texts, and the impact on changing audiences in terms of the construction of the past. The paper also discusses how we, as archaeologists and film-makers, can use this critical analysis to contribute actively to using the medium of film to create narratives beyond the mainstream of popular culture.

Citation

Tringham, Ruth (2009) Making the Most of the Medium of Film to Create Alternative Narratives about the Past and its Investigation. Proceedings of the Kineon Festival and Conference of Archaeological Film Les Actes du Colloque “Archaeologie et medias: quelles représentations, quelles enjeux?”:21-31. Brussels, Belgium.