Pedagogical Approaches in Archaeology and Heritage Education from the Ancient Near East: a Freirean Perspective
MAVRIDES SALES, Kayssa
This paper investigates ways to bridge the gap between the public and Near Eastern archaeology, focusing on how interactions in excavations taken by non-archaeologists are influential in shaping further activities to the broader public in museum settings. Drawing on Professor Paulo Freire’s critical pedagogy, this research emphasizes the role of the mediator as a facilitator of dialogical and participatory learning experiences. The study demonstrates how the mediator’s encounters within archaeological projects lead to a deeper understanding of cultural heritage and inform the development of meaningful and inclusive museum pedagogical practices. This project builds on prior experiences in different educational environments. It has expanded to engage broader audiences at two archaeological museums at Sapienza University of Rome as study cases in 2023 and 2024, by exercising visual literacy by employing image reading techniques to the audiences. Above all, this work represents an effort into the possibilities of rethinking mediation experiences, considering that a Freirean approach remains deeply relevant nowadays and, in doing so, opening new paths and possibilities for the development of interdisciplinary popular educational proposals and the communication of Near Eastern archaeology.
Session 5. Public Engagement and Cultural Heritage. The Role of Communication and Dissemination in the Humanities [info]