Agricultural open-air museums date back to the late 19th century, as it became fashionable to collect examples of local folklife. They collected historic, relocated buildings, furnished them with...Show moreAgricultural open-air museums date back to the late 19th century, as it became fashionable to collect examples of local folklife. They collected historic, relocated buildings, furnished them with original objects, and often enlivened the museum and building with plants, animals, and costumed interpreters. Archaeological open-air museums(AOAMs) were born out of an interest in reconstructing the archaeological past. The first AOAMs were based on pile dwellings discovered in Swiss and German lakes in the late 19th century. AOAMs are popular cultural destinations, but both AOAMs and agricultural open-air museums have faced the critique of inauthenticity. This study discusses how a concern over ‘authenticity’ could prevent different questions about AOAMs from being asked. For example, how can AOAMs engage with the past in a way that is relevant in the present, and for the future? One way to do this is to participate in climate change communication. Current media messaging is often overwhelming, or it presents climate change as contentious. Museums can be important locations for communicating climate change awareness and action in ways that do not centre fear or helplessness. A survey of the literature around climate change communication in museums shows that AOAMs are uniquely placed within museum archaeology to address many aspects of climate change engagement, using various themes and strategies. As museum spaces, they are friendly places to learn about complex issues. As places of archaeological interpretation, they can demonstrate time depth and tell local, personal stories with an affective component. As outdoor spaces, they offer immersive experiences and can facilitate a sense of connection with nature. They can engage visitors with themes of sustainability, biodiversity, and ancient plants, animals, and crafts, and show how these relate to the present. Through museum interpreters and other visitors, as well as narratives and interpretation, they can foster a sense of connection to other people both in the present and in the past. Using the case studies preHistorisch Dorp Eindhoven, Archäologisches Freilichtmuseum Oerlinghausen, and Pfahlbauten Unteruhldingen, this study discusses to what extent the museums are engaging in these themes and strategies, using an analytical framework that pays close attention to the use of various components of the museum – setting, space and layout, display types, subject and text, activities and educational programmes. The research shows that each museum emphasizes different themes and strategies. PreHistorisch Dorp focuses on creating immersive experiences by creating independent activity areas and telling personal stories of life in the past with fictional characters. Archäologisches Freilichtmuseum Oerlinghausen offers many organised events, activities and programmes, which focus mainly on ancient crafts and the connection between people and their environment. Pfahlbauten Unteruhldingen has the Steinzeitparcours, a park/garden area dedicated to encouraging a connection to nature through learning about the uses for various trees in the past. This research shows that there is room for AOAMs in the broader discussion around archaeological museums and climate change, and that they can bring a unique element of direct connection to the visitor experience.Show less
This thesis evaluates an exhibition at the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam called Face to Face: The People Behind Mummy Portraits. Mummy portraits were made on wooden panels or linen in Egypt...Show moreThis thesis evaluates an exhibition at the Allard Pierson Museum in Amsterdam called Face to Face: The People Behind Mummy Portraits. Mummy portraits were made on wooden panels or linen in Egypt during the Roman period. They were inserted in a mummy or a cartonnage case. After their discovery in the late nineteenth century, most of the portraits had been collected, without proper documentation of their find contexts. Because of this, much is unknown about the mummy portraits. Additionally, they were also often removed from their mummies; thus only few portraits are together with their corresponding mummies. The naturalistic portrayal of the dead in wooden panels did not just gain attention from collectors. Many exhibitions have been held that showcased the portraits, sometimes without much information on their funerary context. Even the word mummy was avoided in some cases. These past exhibitions, along with recent new research collaborations on the portraits make the temporary exhibition at the Allard Pierson an interesting topic to study. Just how does the museum represent the portraits? To answer that question, the paper combines literature and the contents of the exhibition. The literature is used to provide an archaeological and museological context to the mummy portraits. In the archaeological context, the portraits are described and the terminology is explained. Related topics such as funerary art, ancient Egyptian history and identity are all discussed extensively. As for the museological background, this chapter focusses on the portraits in terms of their provenance, provenience, and exhibition history. Though this chapter also discusses museum theory. After both chapters on contextual background, the contents of the entire exhibition is described. Here, the halls and their contents are mentioned but not yet discussed. That is done in the discussion chapter, it which some of the choices in designing the exhibition are analyzed and critiqued. Finally in the conclusion, several key points of the presentation choices from the exhibition are analyzed. The way the museum portrays the portraits in terms of object category is an important example of that. It is argued that the museum presents the mummy portraits as art. The conclusion of the research is that the museum presents the portraits corresponding to the topic of the hall they are in, with much focus on all the different groups of people that were part of their history.Show less
