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Fig. 3.
Levels of meaning in
an approach which
aims at offering multiple
interpretations.
useful contexts, within which the meaning of archaeological finds
can be analysed in a diachronic way (as opposed to a synchronic one,
associated with excavation contexts). 22 They are, also, more open to
generalizations and comparisons, which are essential for the increasingly
diversified (and international) audiences of modern museums.
It seems that many of today’s museum visitors are more interested in
situations which bear similarities to their own experiences than in the
detailed history of specific ethnic, religious or social groups.
It seems, also, that people are increasingly interested in the very process
of shaping memory. This is reflected on the deep preoccupation
of social sciences with issues of collective remembering, which has
brought also the memorializing role of museums (and archaeology
in general) under scrutiny. 23 As a result, young people who visit archaeological
museums today are often more interested in how we make
history than they are in history itself. This creates another meaningful
context of interpretation.
In view of the above, I suggest that archaeological museums can
gain from adopting methods of multiple interpretations. This can be
achieved by working on different levels of meaning, which are related to
each other but also structurally autonomous, like concentric circle
(fig. 3).
For example, a group of archaeological finds or a site can be examined:
1. on the level of the specific objects / site - a pragmatic approach;
2. on the level of the society which produced these objects or that type
of sites - a synchronic approach;
3. on the level of historical processes (social, economic, artistic, etc.)
- a diachronic approach;
4. on the level of our own perception of the past - a self-reflecting
approach.
In that way, we can expose the plurality of meanings that an object
or a site may have had in the past, while recognizing the role of the
observer in interpreting the evidence and investing the past with new
levels of significance.
Public Interaction and Technological Applications
So far, I have argued that multiple interpretations are interesting
among others because they invite visitors to make decisions. This
brings us to the heart of the interactivity debate. I believe that decision-making
is a crucial aspect, that element which can transform
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