Few people get the chance to participate in an actual archaeological dig, but now anyone with Internet access can virtually travel to excavation sites in Laos.
Penn Museum Digital Media Director Amy Ellsworth recently created an in-depth blog about her experiences in the Laotian city of Luang Prabang — an area whose prehistory has never been examined by modern archaeology.
The blog tracks the progress of Joyce White, associate curator and director of the Penn Museum’s Middle Mekong Archaeological Project in Laos, between January 1 and 17 from her station at Tham An Mah, a cave that used to be a Buddhist temple.
Ellsworth initially ventured to Southeast Asia to get footage for fundraising and Penn Museum publications.
“The blog was just a logical add-on,” Ellsworth wrote in an e-mail from her station in Laos.
In addition to interviews with the excavators and progress in MMAP, Ellsworth’s daily posts depict the cultural environment of Luang Prabang and her own personal experiences touring the countryside.
Often Ellsworth inserts anecdotes to keep her readers entertained.
In one post, she wrote, “I slipped on a banana peel walking home from the internet cafe. I’m not sure if this has ever happened to anyone in the past century who was not a cartoon or a [vaudevillian] with a handle-bar mustache.”
Though Ellsworth returned from Laos early this week, she will continue adding content to the blog this semester.
She plans to compile her video clips to create a 20-minute video about MMAP, as well as possibly a shorter documentary focused on life on an excavation.
When asked about her target audience, Ellsworth said she hoped to catch the attention of undergraduate students because they are currently under-served by the Museum.
“We hope that things like this might get them interested in visiting the Museum,” Ellsworth wrote. “And maybe even considering the fields of archaeology and anthropology.”
She noted that the Museum is free for all Penn students.
Ellsworth’s blog is only one of many efforts to stimulate undergraduate interest through social media.
Ellsworth and her late co-worker Jay Stefaniuk redesigned the Museum’s entire web site.
Also, the Penn Museum is now active on sites such as Flickr, Facebook and YouTube, she said.
According to Pam Kosty, the Museum’s spokeswoman, interested people can even receive an e-mailed newsletter if they sign up on the Museum’s home page.
Students have also expressed interest in the Museum’s online developments.
“Digitization makes complete sense for Penn Museum because there’s so much focus and activity online,” said College freshman Joe Pinsker. “I am definitely more inclined to check out the Museum now that it’s accessible from my dorm room.”
Ellsworth’s blog can be found on middlemekong.wordpress.com.
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