Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Grand Challenge No. 5: Communicating Archaeology Outreach And Narratives In Professional Practice, Todd J. Kristensen, Meigan Henry, Kevin Brownlee, Adrian Praetzellis, Myra Sitchon

Journal of Archaeology and Education

Communicating archaeology to non-expert audiences can convey the role and value of the discipline, implant respect for heritage, and connect descendant communities to their past. A challenge facing archaeology communicators is to translate complex ideas while retaining their richness and maximizing audience engagement. This article discusses how archaeologists can effectively communicate with non-experts using narrative and visual tools. We provide a communication strategy and three case studies from North America. The examples include the packaging of archaeological theory in the shape of mystery novels for student consumption; the use of artwork to anchor archaeological narratives in public outreach; and, the …