The Role of Social Media in Archaeological Education and Outreach: A Roundtable Discussion

Social media has fundamentally reshaped the way our society produces, consumes, and circulates information. This transformation has generated negative consequences for civic life, but has also shown significant promise for the democratization of knowledge in and outside of institutions of higher education. In social media, teachers and researchers have found efficient platforms for sharing their expertise with ever widening and diverse audiences. Yet, the impact of social media on specific academic disciplines such as archaeology remains only partially examined. This roundtable features five archaeologists who actively use social media platforms to educate public audiences about archaeology. The panelists will discuss their particular approaches to using social media for archaeological education and their views on best practices for social media based outreach. The roundtable will also explore how social media is changing the discipline of archaeology as it begins to play a more central role in the creation and dissemination of archaeological knowledge. These questions are key to anticipating archaeology's future in higher education and its continued vitality for the public's understanding of the past.

*Erina Baci, Facilitator - University of Michigan, PhD Student UMMAA
*Raven Todd DaSilva, Panelist - University College London, MA Candidate Archaeological Conservator
*Connor Johnen, Panelist - University of Wyoming, MA CRM Archaeologist | GIS Tech
*Natasha Billson, Panelist - Bournemouth University, BSc CRM Senior Archaeologist | TV Presenter
*David Ian Howe, Panelist - University of Wyoming, MA Laboratory Manager
*Carlton Shield Chief Gover, Panelist - CU Boulder, PhD Student, Museum of the Pawnee Nation