Re-discovering archaeological heritage using mobile technologies
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 16/10/2018

The purpose of this paper is to present the action "Invisible monuments, digital memory", a combination of digital social media and mobile phone technology, aiming at raising public awareness on antiquities hidden under the modern urban development in the center of Thessaloniki. The action was implemented last September in the framework of the European network NEARCH http://www.nearch.eu/ and explores the use of social networks and digital applications in re-connecting people with archaeological heritage. The selected seven sites presented at the event have been excavated earlier in the 20th century and kept in Thessaloniki's city center, largely lost from public memory due to their state of preservation.
The information provided through digital media was designed to transfer some idea of the context in which archaeological research is carried out and management decisions are taken. The actual event was implemented using mobile phones or tablets and QR codes placed near the monuments within the urban fabric of the city. In addition, participants were given the option to fill in an online questionnaire, related to their perception of heritage and their experience of the event. We will present both the action and the results of the survey. We will also examine whether this action, or similar actions, and the encouraged discussion in social media, have the potential to re-introduce invisible or largely forgotten monuments, and therefore add an element of a long diachrony to the daily life of people leaving in the urban context of the city.

Author: PhD Candidate Theodoroudi, Eleftheria - AUTH (Presenting author)
Co-Author: Prof Kotsakis, Kostas - AUTH; Ass. Prof. Kasvikis, Kostas - UoWM