Unforgettable Encounters: Understanding Participation in Italian Community Archaeology (Access Archaeology)

Far from being a discipline focusing on the past, archaeology has boundless potential for engaging with people in the present. Encounters between archaeologists and the public with different pasts have the potential to create diverse participative dynamics. From the involvement of citizens as excavators and re-enactors to the co-organisation of research campaigns and outreach activities, public participation in archaeology has become a well-represented practice, fully incorporated into European and national cultural policies. However, the impact of this practice remains underexplored. Unforgettable Encounters demonstrates how evaluating participation can critically influence daily practice on fieldwork, enrich the academic discussion in public archaeology, and inform the decision-making process in community-based planning. The book proposes an operational workflow, aiming to serve as a benchmark for archaeologists delivering collaborative programs in excavation-based projects. It offers a flexible set of tools, analyses, and visualisation boards which can provide a range of information about public participation and can inform the daily practice of fieldwork and the development of community projects. Three Italian case studies present the application of the operational workflow, testing its flexibility and effectiveness. By focusing on Italian community archaeology, this book aims to raise awareness of the importance of evaluating public participation in a country where this commitment has always been evident-especially in excavations-but where research on community archaeology itself has developed only in the last few years.

Francesco Ripanti is an Italian archaeologist currently working as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at Trinity College Dublin, with a project focusing on archaeology and wellbeing. His expertise lies in the application of qualitative research methods for the evaluation of community archaeology projects. His research interests include several themes related to public and digital archaeology, heritage and museum studies. He participated in several excavations and research projects in Greece, Cyprus and Italy designing and authoring audio guides and panels for adults and children in several museums and archaeological parks. He is co-founder of Archeokids, an Italian blog about archaeology for children, and Deputy Editor for Archeostorie. Journal of Public Archaeology. Francesco holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Archaeology (University of Siena), a postgraduate degree in Archaeology (Specializzazione - University of Trieste, Udine, Venezia Ca' Foscari) and a PhD in Public Archaeology (University of Pisa).