Conclusions

Citation

Pett D & Bonacchi C (2012) Conclusions. In: Bonacchi C (ed.) Archaeology and Digital Communication. Towards Strategies of Public Engagement. London: Archetype Publications, pp. 126-130. https://archetype.co.uk/our-titles/archaeology-and-digital-communication/?id=155

Abstract
First paragraph: The essays published in this volume provide a diverse and challenging discussion of potential strategies of public engagement for archaeology, with substantial conceptual synergies. They cover the explosion of new forms of social media, the shift to open access publishing models, the use of the Internet via websites, knowledge resources and games, mobile platforms for integrating with a wider off-line offer and the digital evolution of television. The methods of engagement that are proposed have their own pros and cons. Some are easily imitable, sustainable and can be implemented at little or no cost, but with considerable effort (this is the case for social media, individually illustrated by Thornton, Pett, Richardson, and Bevan, this volume); others require specialist knowledge, equipment and platforms for production and implementation (eg Bonacchi et al., Goskar, and Jeater with Lee, this volume), or a fundamental 'ethical' change in the way in which intra- and inter-specialist communication is conducted within the archaeological research community (Hole, this volume). It is hoped that readers will find some of these strategies useful in their profession.