Digital Public Archaeology at Must Farm: A Critical Assessment of Social Media Use for Archaeological Engagement

Abstract

Digital public archaeology is increasingly exploring social networks as platforms for online outreach initiatives. Despite a growing body of literature concerning archaeological engagement on social media there are few examinations of such applications in practice. This research critically assesses the current discussions surrounding archaeological social media use before exploring commercial digital outreach at Must Farm, Cambridgeshire. Quantitative examinations of the project's Facebook metrics and qualitative comment analyses are employed to assess whether audiences were meaningfully engaged by these online strategies. The research concludes there is substantial value in using social networks to communicate archaeology and provides recommendations for future applications.

Keywords

• archaeology
• digital public archaeology
• public engagement
• development-led archaeology
• must farm
• communication
• social media
• prehistory