by Nicole C.
For the majority of the discipline’s history, archaeologists sat atop an ivory tower of elitism and non-engagement; cut off from the general public in their own intellectual pursuits. However, since the turn of the century, we have seen this attitude in the field shift towards an approach that rejects the idea that archaeologists hold all scholarly authority of the past. Unfortunately, the climb down from the tower doesn’t always go smoothly. Much of the public’s perception of archaeology is riddled with misinformation, stereotypes, and the overall impression of archaeologists as colonial tomb-raiders or dull, stuffy professors (Moshenska 2017).
What better way to dispel these perceptions than through humor? Humor serves as a socially inclusive mechanism which allows the audience’s view of archaeology to not be seen as elevated above themselves. (Sinanan 2017). Using humour to dispel the ivory tower image of archaeology encourages the public, and archaeologists themselves, to view archaeology is a more modern and unpretentious way. Thus, @DankArchMemes was born!
A focus on creating and posting archaeology-related internet memes was chosen because visual images are fundamental to “people’s experience of the world around them” (Miller 2016). Memes are also an important part of the internet culture that many younger generations are a part of; they allow for form of “social bonding” between individuals (Zappavigna 2012). Humour is a complex, contradictory and progressively changing concept, but it can serve as a tool to build relationships based on a shared social code (Swinkels and Koning 2016).
This particular project used Twitter as the social media platform because use of visual postings on Twitter is mainly young adults (Miller 2016). The use of these visual images and posts were aimed at increasing the number of younger adults and teenagers who are influenced by archaeological information, themes, and theology. The goal was not to convince younger people to become archaeologists, but rather to use this education and engagement as an “agent for change from incidental interest to informed interest” (Clarke 2004). Engaging young people can cultivate the next generation of public supporters (or even students) of archaeology, and using the imagery and social media platforms that they are familiar with is the best way to reach them.
The project involved creating and retweeting humor related posts centered around archaeological and anthropological content using the social media platform Twitter through humorous images, gifs, memes, and textual postings. The Twitter profile and the material produced from the account used well known popular culture images such as SpongeBob SquarePants, the History Channel’s TV Show Ancient Aliens, and other popular social media “meme” images and text.
The methods for creating or editing images were all accessed using a smartphone. Photos that required text to be added onto the image or needed to be customized in some way used photo editing mobile applications. All images used and posted to the account were sourced from twitter users, Reddit, or other internet sources. Because the nature of the account is non-profit, educational, and is not monetized no copyright laws were broken by using or sharing these images.
When creating posts there were certain criteria that were looked for. A few were:
- contained popular culture images or symbols
- pertained to archaeology or anthropology
- could be understood and appreciated by a non-archaeologist public
- dispelled common stereotypes or myths pertaining to archaeology
- ethical and engaging
- allowed for interactive discussion about archaeological concepts or theories
The project involved twice weekly, original postings beginning on September 1st, 2019. This does not include retweets from other accounts, which did not have a limit. They were, however, securitized and held to a higher standard as to not spread false information or misconceptions. The project has no end date and the account will likely be continued to be active in the foreseeable future.
The goal of the project was to engage as many Twitter users as possible, especially younger users and users who work in the field of archaeology, history, and anthropology. Over the course of three months the account has seen rapid growth and success. This progress is assessed by the amount of activity and engagements the Twitter account has accumulated. Over the course of the project, the Twitter account @DankArchMemes has:
- gained 303 followers
- followed 494 users
- posted 34 original tweets
- 2.8% engagement rate and 67,300 impressions over the course of 91 days
- trimmed average of 349 views per tweet
- untrimmed average of 1,049 views per tweet
- retweeted 144 tweets
- liked 247 tweets
- one tweet with 888 likes and 190 retweets that has been viewed by over 50,000 Twitter users (3.2% engagement rate)
Ultimately, using humor as a culturally comprehensive mechanism for education and engagement, this project has connected archaeology themes, information, and subject matter to non-archaeologist and archaeologist users across the Twitter platform.
The results from this project is evidence that internet culture and humor can be and should be used by archaeologists to engage with and educate the public. Internet memes are quickly becoming important components of our collective visual culture (the aspect of culture expressed in visual images) and are a means of social bonding. Visual images are also fundamental to “people’s experience of the world around them.” Knowing this, humorous images, gifs, and textual posts should be actively incorporated into archaeological public outreach on social media platforms.
My personal takeaway from this project is that humor and imagery on social media platforms can be a successful means of engagement, education, and interactive discussions of archaeological concepts or history. Not only can it be used for academic and educational purposes, but humor can also be used as a tool for personal connection between archaeologists and non-archaeologists. This will ultimately lead to a more accurate understanding of archaeologists and their work by the public. Through this we can actively dismantle the ivory tower of privilege that archaeology is based.
Don’t forget to check me out on Twitter at @DankArchMemes
References:
Clarke, Catherine
2004 The Politics of Storytelling: Electronic Media in Archaeological Interpretation and Education. World Archaeology 36(2):275-286.
Miller, Daniel
2016 Crafting the Look. In Social Media in an English Village. Why We Post Series Vol. 2. UCL Press, London.
Moshenska, Gabriel
2017 Archaeologists in Popular Culture. In Key Concepts in Public Archaeology, edited by Gabriel Moshenska, pp. 151-165. UCL Press, London
Swinkels, Michiel and Koning, Anouk D.
2016 Introduction: Humour and Anthropology. Etnofoor 28(1):7-10.
Sinanan, Jolynna
2017 Conclusion: Social Media Through Ethnography. In Social Media in Trinidad: Values and Visibility. Why We Post Series Vol. 11. UCL Press, London.
Zappavigna, Michele
2012 The Discourse of Twitter and Social Media: How We Use Language to Create Affiliation on the Web. Continuum International Publishing Group, London.
SIUE Public Archaeology 