Cultural tourism is developed near the Iron-Age site

CHAPTER 2

During the course of the Danube Archaeological eLandscapes project Mobility Actions were held in six museums in six partner countries, each with a different topic dealing with the activities of the museums in the landscapes. Museums not only display archaeological artefacts, but also try to show the visitor how people lived in the past. In most museums, this is done by means of photos, drawings, short films and smaller reconstructions of, for example, buildings. With new digital technologies, the possibilities for museums in presenting past landscapes has greatly increased. Many museums have started to use these new technologies sporadically in their presentations. But they are still lacking a systematic approach towards introducing these technologies in the museum, an approach, which not only considers the available funds, but also the most appropriate and efficient ways of presentations.

2.1. Public Archaeology

Who owns heritage? Approaches to involve the public in archaeological heritage and landscapes

Sarah Kiszter, Marko Mele I Universalmuseum Joanneum

Public archaeology has been a part of archaeological self-reflection for decades. Originally seen as an educational tool to inform the public about archaeology (“science to public”), the term is today understood as public involvement whereby many interested parties work side-by-side in exploring the past. In the complex arena of conflict between legal regulation, institutional research, and the interests of individuals and/or communities, new possibilities for the genuine involvement of all interested parties as equal partners in archaeological research have emerged rather slowly. Therefore, it is important to develop a strategic framework to plan and evaluate public archaeology. What are the skills and resources needed for a successful partnership? Should the public funding of archaeological projects require a defined level of public engagement activities? Public archaeology refers to those areas of archaeology that relate to the public’s interest. The focus is on communication and collaboration with various community groups and the public audience about the practice of archaeology. This field of archaeological research, which has been growing in recent years, includes theoretical and practical work in archaeology, archaeological education, as well as museum archaeology, where archaeologists and the public have built up a connection, and therefore a link, with their own past. Such types of outreach also include other areas, for example interaction through lectures, Internet blogs and social media, as well as newspaper and magazine articles. The term public archaeology is therefore a broad field, the definitions of which can be quite different depending on the different ways archaeologists practice public archaeology. A number of these approaches were presented and carried out at the Mobility Actions in Austria by the Universalmuseum Joanneum: • Private Archaeological Associations • Network projects • Events and workshops