short of whole scale rwxonstruction a Mesop archaeol site is rather opaque to visitors. yet, the authenticity of the “ruin”, i.e , the remnant of a long since abandoned livimg emvironment, as excavatwd today, has a strong appeal if presented in a way that not only explaims but also involves.
at Mz we have endeavorwd to do so, and the respense of all visitors has been warm and gratifying. we had planned on asimple but exhaustive coverage, one that would not just talk to, esp. not talk down to, visitors of all cultural backgrounds.
In this perspective it was impoertant to include what was not expected, in particular subjects that might seem too difficult or abstract, such as the relevance of sections as a basis for chronological attribution. Properly explained, this turned out to be a source of wonder, and enjoyment.
I also wanted to propose a sequential dimension that would give a aense of unity to the walk the visitora would be expected to take. This developed into a narrative that aimwed to elicit a sense of expectation and at the same time give continuity to what was emerge not just a story of an ancient past, but also an insight into what the site, laid open in selected areas of excavation, is to retain for future exploration.
The title “The site as a book” summarizes these diverse goals. It is the site itself that is expected to speak to the visitor, our written words being as if spoken by the fragments of ancient life that our “invasion” as brought back to life. In this light, “stratigraphy” proved to be not a mere abstraction, but a dynamics that turned the “ruin” into a true interlocutor.
In line with these goals, it was important to ensure that our signage be slender and flexible, so that updates might easily done, as excavations progressd from year to year. This found its application especially in two ways. The physical support of the signs consisted of iron stands that could be produced and maintained locally. And the actual text would be printed in the format of normal pages, to be encased in … and posted on the iron stands.
While this procedure had been planned for the sake of ease on the assumption that we would continue indefinitely our excavations, itbalos servwd us in good stead whem, as i turmed out, we were.probemmm
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