Dr Chiara Bonacchi

Overview

BA, MA, PHD, FSA, FSA Scot, FHEA

I am an archaeologist, specialised in Public Archaeology and Heritage, with a focus on Digital Heritage. After a BA in Archaeology and an MA in Medieval Archaeology from the University of Florence, I completed a PhD in Public Archaeology from the UCL Institute of Archaeology. Before joining Stirling, I worked as Post-Doctoral Research Associate and Co-Investigator Researcher at the University of Newcastle, Central Saint Martins University of the Arts London, and the UCL Institute of Archaeology.

I have designed, participated in and coordinated a broad portfolio of collaborative research projects in the UK, Europe and the Middle East, focussing on the study of public perceptions and experience of the past, digital co-production and public engagement, data science and digital ethnographies in heritage studies, heritage values and the politics of the past. In Italy, I have spearheaded the set-up of public archaeology as a field of study, in collaboration with colleagues from the University of Florence. I have advised and completed commissioned reports for arts and culture organisations and funding bodies in the UK and Europe. I have been invited to give keynote speeches, lectures and presentations around the world, in countries including the UK, Italy, Spain, Germany, Finland, Norway, Jordan, the US, Mexico and China. My work has been reported in an array of popular outlets such as Nature News, the Guardian, the Times, the Telegraph, le Scienze, La Repubblica, Culture 24 and Discovery.

External appointments and memberships

• Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London.
• Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
• International Executive Committee member of the Association of Critical Heritage Studies (ACHS).
• ACHS UK Chapter committee officer.
• Archaeology and Learning Working Group, Scotland.
• Member of the European Association of Archaeologists.
• Member of the Organising Committee for the ACHS Conference 2020.
• Advisory Board member for Journal of Archaeology Data; AP: Online Journal in Public Archaeology; Advisory Board member for the Italian Journal of Public Archaeology.
• Public Archaeology Series Editor, Florence University Press.
• Visiting Scholar at University of Helsinki, 2019.

Publication list

BOOKS & WHOLE ISSUES

• Bonacchi, C. (in press; 2022) Heritage and Nationalism: understanding populism through big data. London: UCL Press.

• Bonacchi, C. (Ed.) (2021) Heritage in a World of Big Data: re-thinking collecting practices, heritage values and activism. Special Issue of Big Data & Society. https://journals.sagepub.com/page/bds/collections/heritageinworldbigdata

• Nucciotti, M., Bonacchi, C. and Molducci, C. (Eds) (2019) Archeologia Pubblica in Italia. Florence: Florence University Press.

• Bonacchi, C., Petersson, B. (Eds) (2017). Digital Co-Production in Archaeology. Special Issue of Internet Archaeology 46. http://intarch.ac.uk/journal/issue46/index.html.

• Bonacchi, C. (Ed.) (2012) Archaeology and Digital Communication. Towards Strategies of Public Engagement. London: Archetype Publications.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

• Bonacchi, C. (2021) Heritage transformations. Heritage in a World of Big Data: re-thinking collecting practices, heritage values and activism. Special Issue of Big Data & Society. https://doi.org/10.1177/20539517211034302.

• Bonacchi, C., and Krzyzanska, M. (2021) Heritage-based tribalism in big data ecologies: deploying origin myths for antagonistic othering. Heritage in a World of Big Data: re-thinking collecting practices, heritage values and activism. Special Issue of Big Data & Society. https://buff.ly/3riCPS0.

• Bonacchi, C., and Lorenzon, M. (2021) Assessing the transforming social values of cities in the longue durée: analysis of a Florence neighbourhood from the Middle Ages to the present. European Journal of Post-Classical Archaeologies, vol 11 (2021): 303-325. http://www.postclassical.it/PCA_Vol.11_files/PCA11_Bonacchi-Lorenzon.pdf

• Bonacchi, C., and Krzyzanska, M. (2019) Digital heritage research re-theorised: Ontologies and epistemologies in a world of big data. International Journal of Heritage Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2019.1578989.

• Bonacchi, C., Bevan, A., Keinan-Schoonbaert, A., Pett, D., Wexler, J. (2019) Participation in heritage crowdsourcing. Museum Management and Curatorship. Published online. https://doi.org/10.1080/09647775.2018.1559080.

• Mac Sweeney, N. et al. (2019) Claiming the Classical: The Greco-Roman World in Contemporary Political Discourse. Council of University Classical Departments Bulletin 48(19). https://cucd.blogs.sas.ac.uk/files/2019/02/MAC-SWEENEY-ET-AL-Claiming-the-Classical.pdf.

• Bonacchi, C. (2018) Public Archaeology cannot just ‘fly at dusk’: reality and complexities of generating public impact. Antiquity 92(366): 1659-1661. https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2018.231.

• Bonacchi, C., Altaweel, M. and Krzyzanska, M. (2018) The heritage of Brexit: Roles of the past in the construction of political identities through social media. Journal of Social Archaeology. https://doi.org/10.1177/1469605318759713.

• Hingley, R., Bonacchi, C., and Sharpe, K. (2018) ‘Are you local?’ The ‘indigenous’ Iron Age and mobile Roman and post-Roman population: Then, now and in-between. Britannia. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0068113X18000016.

• Bonacchi, C., Hingley, R., and Yarrow, T. (2016) Exploring Ancient Identities in Modern Britain. Archaeology International: 54-57. http://dx.doi.org/10.5334/ai.1909.

• Bonacchi, C., Moshenska, G. (2015). A Critical Review of Digital Public Archaeology. Internet Archaeology 40. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.40.7.1.

• Bonacchi, C., Bevan, A., Pett, D., Keinan-Schoonbaert, A. (2015) Crowd-funding Community Archaeology. Journal of Community Archaeology and Heritage, 3(2): 184-198. http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/2051819615Z.00000000041.

• Wexler, J., Bevan, A., Bonacchi, C, Keinan-Schoonbaert, A., Pett, D., Wilkin, N. (2015) Collective Re-Excavation and Lost Media from the Last Century of British Prehistoric Studies. Journal of Contemporary Archaeology 2 (1): 126-142. http://dx.doi.org/10.1558/jca.v2i1.27124.

• Vannini, G., Nucciotti, M. and Bonacchi, C. (2014) Archeologia Pubblica e Archeologia Medievale [Public Archaeology and Medieval Archaeology]. Archeologia Medievale. Special Issue: Quarant’anni di Archeologia Medievale in Italia. La rivista, i temi, la teoria e i metodi, 2014: 183-195. DOI: 10.1400/228489.

• Bevan, A., Pett, D., Bonacchi, C., Keinan-Schoonbaert, A., Lombraña González, D., Sparks, R., Wexler, J. and Wilkin, N. (2014) Citizen Archaeologists. Online Collaborative Research about the Human Past. Human Computation (2014) 1:2:183-197. http://dx.doi.org/10.15346/hc.v1i2.9.

• Bonacchi, C. (2014) Understanding the public experience of archaeology in the UK and Italy: a call for a ‘sociological movement’ in Public Archaeology. European Journal of Post-Classical Archaeologies 4 (2014): 377-400. http://www.postclassical.it/PCA_vol.4_files/PCA%204_Bonacchi.pdf.

• Bonacchi, C. (2013) Audiences and values of archaeology on the small screen. Public Archaeology 12(2): 117-131. http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/1465518713Z.00000000035.

• Bonacchi, C. (2009) Archeologia pubblica in Italia. Origini e prospettive di un ‘nuovo’ settore disciplinare [Public Archaeology in Italy. Origins and Prospects for a ‘new’ disciplinary field]. Ricerche Storiche 2-3 (2009): 329-350.

• Bonacchi, C. (2007) Il castello di Piteccio nell’alta valle dell’Ombrone e il fenomeno dell’incastellamento toscano (secoli XI-XIV) [The Castle of Piteccio in the High Valley of the River Ombrone and the phenomenon of castle settlement in Tuscany (cc.XI-XIV)]. Bullettino Storico Pistoiese. CIX (2007), pp. 59-86.

BOOK CHAPTERS

• Bonacchi, C. (submitted) Digital Public Archaeology. In: Noiret, S. and Tebeau, M. (Eds) Handbook of Digital Public History. Berlin: De Gruyter.

• Bonacchi, C. (2019) Esperienza, Archeologia e Musei. In: M. Nucciotti, C. Bonacchi and C. Molducci (Eds) Archeologia Pubblica in Italia. Florence: Florence University Press, pp. 173-180.

• Nucciotti, M., Bonacchi, C., Molducci, C. (2019) Introduzione. In: M. Nucciotti, C. Bonacchi and C. Molducci (Eds) Archeologia Pubblica in Italia. Florence: Florence University Press, pp. 9-13.

• Nucciotti, M. and Bonacchi, C. (2019) Il Congresso di Archeologia Pubblica come progetto culturale nazionale. In: M. Nucciotti, C. Bonacchi and C. Molducci (Eds) Archeologia Pubblica in Italia. Florence: Florence University Press, pp. 15-31.

• Bonacchi, C. (2017) Digital Media for Public Archaeology Research and Practice. In: Moshenska, G. (Ed.) Key Concepts in Public Archaeology. London: UCL Press. http://www.ucl.ac.uk/ucl-press/browse-books/key-concepts-in-public-archaeology.

• Wilkin, N., Bevan, A., Bonacchi, C., Keinan-Schoonbaert, A., Pett, D., Wexler, J. (2015) Crowd-sourcing the British Bronze Age: Initial experiences and results from the MicroPasts project. Proceedings of the Society for Museum Archaeologists Conference.

• Bonacchi, C., Bevan, A., Pett, D., Keinan-Schoonbaert, A. (2015) Crowd- and Community-fuelled Archaeology. Early Results from the micropasts Project. In Giligny, F., Djindjian, F., Costa, L., Moscati, P. And Robert, S. (Eds) CAA2014, 21st Century Archaeology. Concepts, Methods and Tools. Proceedings of the 42nd Annual Conference on Computer Applications and Quantitative Methods in Archaeology, Paris. Oxford: Archaeopress, pp. 279-288.

• Bonacchi, C. (2014) Archeologia Pubblica al Tempo della Crisi Economica [Public Archaeology at the Time of the Economic Crisis]. In: Parello, M.C. and Rizzo, M.S. (Eds) Proceedings of the Conference Archeologia Pubblica al Tempo della Crisi, 29-30 November 2013, Agrigento, Italy, pp. 19-23.

• Bonacchi, C. (2012) Introduction. In: Bonacchi, C. (Ed.) Archaeology and Digital Communication. Towards Strategies of Public Engagement. London: Archetype Publications, pp. xi-xix.

• Bonacchi, C., Furneaux, C. and Pett, D. (2012) Public Engagement Through Online TV Channels: A Way Forward For The Audiovisual Communication Of Archaeology? In: Bonacchi, C. (Ed.) Archaeology and Digital Communication. Towards Strategies of Public Engagement. London: Archetype, pp. 50-65.

• Bonacchi, C. and Pett, D. (2012) Conclusions. In: Bonacchi, C. (Ed.) Archaeology and Digital Communication. Towards Strategies of Public Engagement. London: Archetype Publications, pp. 126-130.

• Bonacchi, C. (2011) Dalla Public Archaeology all’archeologia Pubblica [From Public Archaeology to Archeologia Pubblica]. In: Vannini, G. (Ed.) Archeologia Pubblica in Toscana. Un Progetto e una Proposta. Florence: Florence University Press, pp. 103-112.

• Bonacchi, C. (2009) La mostra: idea e struttura. Il progetto museologico [The exhibition: concept and articulation: The museological project]. In: Vannini, G. and Nucciotti, M. (Eds) Da Petra a Shawbak. Archeologia di una Frontiera. Catalogo. Florence: Giunti, pp. 36-46.

REPORTS AND LONG REVIEWS COMMISSIONED BY RESEARCH & ARTS COUNCILS / HERITAGE INSTITUTIONS

• Bonacchi, C. (2018). Co-Producing Knowledge Online. Connected Communities Foundation Series Reviews, UK Arts and Humanities Research Council. https://connected-communities.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Knowledge_Online_SP.pdf.

• Bonacchi, C. and Willocks, J. (2016) Realities and impacts of museum university partnerships in England. Final report for Arts Council England. https://www.publicengagement.ac.uk/sites/default/files/publication/mupi_literature_review_and_research_report.pdf.

• Bonacchi, C. and Galani, A. (2013) 'Culturally engaged? A people-centred approach to understanding digital cultural engagement on social media platforms. Report for Tyne & Wear Archives & Museums.

EDITORIALS, REVIEWS & RESEARCH UPDATES

• Bonacchi, C. (2017) Higher Education and the Creative Economy: Beyond the Campus. The Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society 47(3): 206-208. DOI:10.1080/10632921.2017.1303414.

• Bonacchi, C. (2017) Museum websites & social media. Issues of participation, sustainability, trust and diversity. International Journal of Heritage Studies 23(3): 291-292. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13527258.2016.1232301.

• Bonacchi, C. Petersson, B. (2017) Digital Co-production in Archaeology. Editorial. Internet Archaeology 46. https://doi.org/10.11141/ia.46.1.

• Griffith, S., Bonacchi, C., Moshenska, G, Richardson, L. (2015) Editorial. Internet Archaeology.

• Bonacchi, C., Bevan, A., Pett, D., Keinan-Schoonbaert, A., Sparks, R., Wexler, J. and Wilkin, N. (2014) Crowd-sourced Archaeological Research. The MicroPasts Project. Archaeology International 17: 61-68. http://doi.org/10.5334/ai.1705.

• Burtenshaw, P., Bonacchi, C. (2013) The 17th ICOMOS General Assembly Scientific Symposium ‘Heritage, Driver of Development’. Public Archaeology 12(4): 278-281. http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/1465518714Z.00000000050.

• Bonacchi, C. (2013) Review: The Development of Public Archaeology in Italy: A Review of Recent Efforts. Public Archaeology 12(3): 211-216. http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/1465518714Z.00000000044.

DIGITAL OUTPUTS & SOFTWARE

• Bonacchi C, Krzyzanska M & Altaweel M (2018) Heritage-of-Brexit. Version: 1 [software]. Available from: https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.5966818.v1
• MicroPasts crowdsourcing website: http://crowdsourced.micropasts.org
• Ancient Identities Today project website: https://ancientidentities.stir.ac.uk
• Research software I have developed: https://github.com/ChiaraBonacchi
• Part of the research software developed for Ancient Identities Today: https://github.com/IARHeritages
• Research software developed for MicroPasts: https://github.com/MicroPasts

Areas

• Digital heritage: digital cultural engagement; crowdsourcing; heritage and data science; heritage, big data and society; digital museology.
• Heritage experiences and values: public perceptions, experiences and values of the past; heritage and identity; political uses and meanings of the past.
• Mixed-methods and complex designs in heritage research: participatory approaches online and offline; qualitative methods; data-intensive and computational methods.
• Public archaeology: communicating archaeology; archaeology and public value; archaeology and identity.
• Postclassical archaeology in the Mediterranean, building archaeology and built heritage.

Summary

My research started with a focus on medieval and public archaeology and progressively broadened to examine public perceptions and experiences of objects, places and practices from the past that are attributed cultural and social values today, online and offline. In my work, I have utilised interdisciplinary approaches and interpretative lenses drawn from archaeology, history, anthropology, sociology and internet studies.

My PhD in public archaeology explored the ways in which people in different personal, social, physical and socio-cultural contexts engage with archaeology as a discipline and with medieval pasts via museum visitation and television viewing. I then specialised in the conceptualisation, development and evaluation of digital cultural engagement via social media, crowd- and other web-based methods. More recently, I have been applying digital methods, both data-intensive and ethnographic, to study the legacies and contemporary values of ideas and materials from the pre-modern past of Europe. In this context, I have been exploring how the Iron Age to late medieval past is leveraged in political micro-activism on social media through the collection and analysis of big data.

I retain an interest in post-classical archaeology in the Mediterranean, building archaeology and built heritage that I am starting to pursue again both theoretically and empirically, after a break of a few years. In the past, I undertook fieldwork with roles of responsibilities in the areas of medieval and building archaeology and of public archaeology in Tuscany (Italy) and the Petra region (Jordan).

Research grants (selected):

• 2022, PI on the AHRC Follow-on grant 'Co-producing Tolerant Futures through Ancient Identities (CI, Richard Hingley, Durham University (£100,000).

• 2020, Co-I, on the 'Digital Narratives of Roman Scotland' (PI Manuel Fernández-Götz, University of Edinburgh; CI Rebecca Jones, Historic Environment Scotland), funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (ca. £7,000).

• 2019, Stirling PI on the AHRC JPI grant 'Curating Sustainable Urban Transformations through Heritage' (ca. £70,000 of £200,000 UK budget). Website: https://curbatheri.niku.no/

• 2017, PI on 'European Social Heritages: Pilot Study', funded by the UCL Centre for Critical Heritage Studies (£1,959).

• 2016, PI on the ‘Digital Heritage ‘Big’ Data Hacking and Visualisation’ project, UCL Global Engagement Fund (£2,000), with £800 of additional sponsorship. This was a collaboration between the UCL Institute of Archaeology, the British Museum, Harvard University, Michigan University and Carleton University.

• 2016, Co-I on the AHRC grant (PI Richard Hingley, Durham Archaeology) ‘Iron Age and Roman Heritages: Exploring Ancient Identities in Modern Britain’ (£678,746, of which £348,481 have been personally managed at UCL and University of Stirling). https://ancientidentities.stir.ac.uk/

Current PhD students:

• Alex Hiscock (AHRC CDP funded) (Primary supervisor): Curating Intangible Online Heritage: The Case of the Antonine Wall and Roman Scotland.
• Hanneke Booij (AHRC CDA funded) (Secondary supervisor): The past we inherit and the future we shape: Investigating sustainable and creative futures for heritage organisations with social purpose.
• Student to be appointed - AHRC CDP funded) (Secondary supervisor): Exploring the value of coastal heritage to different sectors of society using discrete choice experiments.

Convenor:

• PG Heritage: Critical Perspectives (HERPP01).
• PG Digital Heritage and Museums (HERPP05).
• UG Heritage, Populism and Post-truth
• UG Medieval Archaeology and Heritage (HISU9H5).

Contributor:

• PG Heritage Research Skills (HERPP02).
• PG Heritage in Practice (HERPP03).
• UG The Museum: History, Theory and Practice.
• UG History / Heritage Dissertations.
• UG Heritage Portfolios.