Abstract: |
Archaeologists, art historians, and anthropologists offer new perspectives on the construction of knowledge concerning the antiquity of the human race. The volume demonstrates the extent to which the visual presentation of archaeological research creates a particular discourse, powerful enough to shape understanding of archaeological knowledge. It is argued that no category of images is immune from this process, from site drawings to museum displays and from manuscript illustrations to digital media, and that, given the frequent use of images as illustrative material in professional archaeological publications, museums, websites, and TV programs, there are important lessons to be learned concerning how images should be used, and what can be learned from considering the use of images in the past and present that might guide responsible use of them in the future. Moving beyond unchallenged presumptions about the passivity of the visual record, the book re-evaluates the importance of the image as a key contributor to the reconstruction of the past. Contributions include |