Structuring the notion of 'ancient civilisation' through displays : semantic research on early to mid-nineteenth century British and American exhibitions of Mesoamerican cultures
This research focuses on studying the representation of the notion of âancient civilisationâ in displays produced in Britain and the United States during the early to mid-nineteenth century, a period that some consider the beginning of scientific archaeology. The study is based on new theoretical ground, the Semantic Structural Model, which proposes that the function of an exhibition is the loading and unloading of an intelligible âsystem of ideasâ, a process that allows the transaction of complex notions between the producer of the exhibit and its viewers. Based on semantic research, this investigation seeks to evaluate how the notion of âancient civilisationâ was structured, articulated and transmitted through exhibition practices. To fulfil this aim, I first examine the way in which ideas about âancientnessâ and âcultural complexityâ were formulated in Western literature before the last third of the 1800s. This results in a basic conceptual structure about the notion of âancient civilisationâ, which is then analysed in relation to the representations formulated by eight displays on Mesoamerican objects, monuments, and people that date from the 1820s to 1870s, all which have been
Medina Gonzalez, E. I.
Structuring the notion of 'ancient civilisation' through displays : semantic research on early to mid-nineteenth century British and American exhibitions of Mesoamerican cultures. This research focuses on studying the representation of the notion of âancient civilisationâ in displays produced in Britain and the United States during the early to mid-nineteenth century, a period that some consider the beginning of scientific archaeology. The study is based on new theoretical ground, the Semantic Structural Model, which proposes that the function of an exhibition is the loading and unloading of an intelligible âsystem of ideasâ, a process that allows the transaction of complex notions between the producer of the exhibit and its viewers. Based on semantic research, this investigation seeks to evaluate how the notion of âancient civilisationâ was structured, articulated and transmitted through exhibition practices. To fulfil this aim, I first examine the way in which ideas about âancientnessâ and âcultural complexityâ were formulated in Western literature before the last third of the 1800s. This results in a basic conceptual structure about the notion of âancient civilisationâ, which is then analysed in relation to the representations formulated by eight displays on Mesoamerican objects, monuments, and people that date from the 1820s to 1870s, all which have been
structuring notion ancient_civilisation display semantic british_american exhibition culture focus study representation notion ancient_civilisation display produce britain united_states period consider begin scientific archaeology study_base new theoretical ground semantic structural model propose function exhibition load intelligible system idea process allow transaction complex notion producer exhibit viewer based semantic investigation seek evaluate notion ancient_civilisation structure articulate transmitted exhibition practice fulfil aim first_examine way idea cultural complexity formulate western literature basic conceptual_structure notion ancient_civilisation analyse relation representation formulate display object monument people date