‘IT IS NOT THE JOB OF MUSEUMS TO ENGAGE IN LIBERAL SOCIAL ENGINEERING’
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 03/03/2021

In the current political climate, local museums in Britain struggle for money and one way to make a case for their value is by emphasising their relevance to society. Museums have a primary role as educators that is recognised by many, however they can also be seen to have a social function. The question then revolves around how Roman archaeology may be deemed relatable and relevant for a modern audience. Roman archaeology in museum exhibitions has an influential voice that engages people from many backgrounds. The diverse nature of the British demographic has meant that displays of Roman archaeology have had to move away from traditional, colonial depictions into a modern narrative. This paper discusses the data collected via a research questionnaire during the course of doctoral study, and asks what the public’s expectations of a museum are, their personal experience of representation in museums, and how the Roman period is, and should be, shown. This paper will use replies provided by participants to highlight how the museum-goer thinks Roman archaeology should be presented, and compare these with the challenges faced by local museums. There is a general expectation that museums have a duty to represent everyone in modern society, and should contribute to the challenging of social and institutional issues. However, many responses depict an opposing side to this opinion which complicates how a local museum can relate Roman archaeology to a modern audience. This paper discusses the conundrum faced by local museums in relation to how they frame Roman archaeology for a public with divergent opinions.


Author(s): Goodwin, Karl (University of Kent)