Unforgettable Encounters: Understanding Participation in Italian Community Archaeology

Whether as excavators and re-enactors, or co-organising research campaigns and outreach activities, the participation of the general public in archaeology has become a well-represented practice, but the impact remains underexplored. Evaluating participation can influence fieldwork practice and enrich the academic discussion on public archaeology.

Francesco Ripanti is an Italian archaeologist currently working as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at Trinity College Dublin, with a project focusing on archaeology and wellbeing. His expertise lies in the application of qualitative research methods for the evaluation of community archaeology projects. His research interests include several themes related to public and digital archaeology, heritage and museum studies. He participated in several excavations and research projects in Greece, Cyprus and Italy designing and authoring audio guides and panels for adults and children in several museums and archaeological parks. He is co-founder of Archeokids, an Italian blog about archaeology for children, and Deputy Editor for Archeostorie. Journal of Public Archaeology. Francesco holds a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Archaeology (University of Siena), a postgraduate degree in Archaeology (Specializzazione - University of Trieste, Udine, Venezia Ca' Foscari) and a PhD in Public Archaeology (University of Pisa).