Desert stories, desert sites: multimedia and the archaeological process in Egypt

摘要

Archaeology is increasingly interested in the varied and multivocal influences on the construction of past worlds. A variety of theoretical approaches, coupled with field methodologies, have been considered with respect to the understanding and critique of the genesis of such diverse archaeological interpretative landscapes. The relationship between archaeological discourse and multimedia, both in terms of practical applications and theoretical context, are increasingly of interest. This paper describes a multimedia approach employed during and subsequent to excavation of a Roman town on the Red Sea coast of Egypt It considers the impact this has had both on internal and external visualisations of the site and on the processes by which a variety of pasts is created for those involved. It also seeks to offer an example of archaeological multimedia activity, facing the complexities and idiosyncrasies of archaeological interpretation.