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Cited by 49Archaeology and Cultural HeritageHistorical and Cultural Archaeology StudiesCultural Heritage Management and Preservation

Co-Creation and Public Archaeology

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Bollwerk, Elizabeth, Connolly, Robert, McDavid, Carol·2015·Advances in Archaeological Practice
DOI 10.7183/2326-3768.3.3.178
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Abstract

This paper serves a dual purpose. First it is an introduction that aims to frame a set of papers that describe and discuss the process of co-creation in a variety of archaeological projects. We discuss the challenge of community engagement in public archaeology and offer co-creative practice as a method for improving our relationships with descendant communities and the general public. We begin by providing a definition of public archaeology and a brief overview of its evolution over the last few decades. Second, we discuss co-creation’s origins and utilization in the museum and business sectors, where the process is applied to address challenges similar to those archaeologists face. We then demonstrate how co-creation fits into the public/applied archaeological framework. We argue that co-creation must be both co (that is, share power in some way) and creative (that is, not just do the same things better, but do something new). Within this framework, we discuss how co-creation aligns with and informs current trends in public archaeology practice drawing from the case studies included in this issue. We conclude that co-creation has an important place on the collaborative continuum and can help our discipline become more responsive to the needs of our many publics.

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  • Content co-creation improves users' motivation to visit exhibitions and fosters collaborative participation between visitors and curators.

    “Furthermore, content cocreation improves the level of motivation for users to visit the exhibitions, and as previously mentioned, it fosters collaborative participation between visitors and curators [23][24][25].”

    From Motiv-ARCHE: co-creation of augmented reality educational content to motivate cultural and natural heritage learning (2025) · cites this paper as [25]

    The sections “ARCHAEOLOGY, THE PARTICIPATORY MUSEUM, AND CO-CREATION” and “Co-Creation and Public Archaeology (cont.)” describe visitors contributing content and museums engaging visitors in reciprocal collaboration with staff. They do not say that content co-creation increases users’ motivation to visit exhibitions. The passages provided do not specify page numbers. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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Research works printed but not linked: 31

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Authors
Bollwerk, E., Connolly, R., & McDavid, C.
Affiliations
  • Thomas Jefferson Foundation (US)
  • University of Memphis (US)
  • Rice University (US)
ORCID
Bollwerk, Elizabeth
Venue
Advances in Archaeological Practice
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
2015-08
Volume
3
Issue
3
Pages
178-187
ISSN
2326-3768 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.7183/2326-3768.3.3.178
OpenAlex
W2571550651
Cited by
49
References
0
Citations by year
2025: 7 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 9 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 2 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 5
FWCI
85.11
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
Advances in Archaeological Practice (publishedVersion, other-oa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Cultural Studies › Archaeology and Cultural Heritage
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology › Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation
Keywords
co-creation, public archaeology, community participation, descendant communities, collaborative archaeology, power sharing, applied archaeology, citizen participation

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