Television and Archaeology: Views from the UK and Beyond

Introduction

For millions of people, their primary engagement with archaeology is through the now-traditional medium of linear broadcast television (Merriman 1991: 119-20; Holtorf 2007: 52-54). Though undoubtedly challenged by newer ubiquitous information technologies with rapidly evolving modes of reception, after more than half a century, this largely remains the case (Pokotylo & Guppy 1999; Payton 2002; Clack & Brittain 2007: 14). However, any archaeological message on any media platform is generated, transmitted, and received within a particular sociocultural technological environment. Viewed as material culture, the historical, economic, political, and ideological context of broadcasting might itself be considered as an anthropological or indeed archaeological meta-narrative (see Huhtamo & Parrika 2011).

Furthermore, archaeology, a project almost wholly funded directly or indirectly from the public purse, is granted singular public trust (Hodder 1987: 166). Yet, the TV broadcasts...