Rachel Stewart, “Worth a Thousand Words: The Importance of Visuals in Communicating Archaeology”
Mentor: Shannon Freire, Anthropology
Poster #212
We live in a largely visual society; social media, photojournalism, billboards, emojis, and even the logos on our clothes all communicate something to us – even in the absence of explanatory text. That said, not all images communicate equally. Stemming from previous research focusing on public access and data management for the Milwaukee County Poor Farm Cemetery (MCPFC) Project, the goal of my continued research was to synthesize the criteria of an effective image for archaeological communication using ESRI’s ArcGIS Story Map application, a largely graphic tool of growing popularity for archaeological storytelling that engages a diverse public audience. To do this, I identified what makes a good photo, what makes a good artifact photo, and what makes a good website/story map. These standards were then used to generate the graphics for the soon to be published MCPFC Story Map titled, The coffin, the collar, the cross, and the can: Narrating the provisional identification process for nonadults at the MCPFC. This Story Map is designed to make the process of provisional identification more easily understandable by elaborating on the practice of making interpretations (how we know) and the resulting outcomes (what we know). Public access is not a static box to be checked but rather an ever-evolving process that requires continual and iterative investment. This research will help promote effective visual communication by the MCPFC Project in their commitment to promote public access.