The Reconstructed Past: Reconstructions in the Public Interpretation of Archaeology and History

To reconstruct or not to reconstruct? That is the question facing many agencies and site managers throughout the world. While reconstructed sites provide a three-dimensional pedagogic environment in which visitors can acquire a heightened sense of the past, an ethical conflict emerges when on-site reconstructions and restorations contribute to the damage or destruction of the original archaeological record. The case studies in this volume contribute to the ongoing debates between data and material authenticity and educational and interpretive value of reconstructions. Discussing diverse reconstruction sites from the Golan Region to Colonial Williamsburg, the authors present worldwide examples that have been affected by agency policies, divergent presentation philosophies, and political and economic realities.

John H. Jameson, Jr. is a senior archaeologist with the National Park Service's Southeast Archaeological Center in Tallahassee, Florida. A recognized leader in public archaeology, he is a key player in the development of training courses for park rangers and archaeologists in the effective interpretation of archaeological resources.