Investigating Cinema archaeologically
A new discipline, applying archaeological principles and fieldwork to the study of cinema. With projects in Spain, Ireland and England under development, this exciting, new field is providing modern insights into the history and development of cinema.
The page header image at the top is a still from the iconic Lawrence of Arabia - the capture of the port of Aqaba. This is how it looks today, with remnants of David Lean's set, and original camera positions, identifiable in the landscape.
Cinema is a cultural artefact and all-pervasive art form of the modern age. It is a multi-dimensional phenomenon with emphatic material imprints – locations and sets, studios and post-production facilities, picture palaces, and a wealth of souvenirs and ephemera.
Despite the growing importance of the archaeology of the contemporary past – with its rich multi-disciplinary repertoires of concepts and methods – cinema has not yet been investigated archaeology. A small group of academic archaeologists is now launching the archaeology of cinema.
A primary initial focus of the core team is the archaeology of the locations and sets used in the epic films of David Lean (The Bridge over the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Dr Zhivago, Ryan’s Daughter, and A Passage to India). Fieldwork is planned at Almeria in south-eastern Spain during 2019 (hopefully with involvement by local Art Societies), including a systematic survey of the remains of ‘Aqaba’ – constructed in a canyon on the coast near Carboneras in Almeria. A particular academic focus of our work on Lean’s epics will be the way in which temporary art installations (the sets) are conceptualised, constructed, and then demolished or abandoned, so as to create a permanent artwork in celluloid (the film).
Visit the Archaeology of CInema website
Cinema is a cultural artefact and all-pervasive art form of the modern age. It is a multi-dimensional phenomenon with emphatic material imprints – locations and sets, studios and post-production facilities, picture palaces, and a wealth of souvenirs and ephemera.
Despite the growing importance of the archaeology of the contemporary past – with its rich multi-disciplinary repertoires of concepts and methods – cinema has not yet been investigated archaeology. A small group of academic archaeologists is now launching the archaeology of cinema.
A primary initial focus of the core team is the archaeology of the locations and sets used in the epic films of David Lean (The Bridge over the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, Dr Zhivago, Ryan’s Daughter, and A Passage to India). Fieldwork is planned at Almeria in south-eastern Spain during 2019 (hopefully with involvement by local Art Societies), including a systematic survey of the remains of ‘Aqaba’ – constructed in a canyon on the coast near Carboneras in Almeria. A particular academic focus of our work on Lean’s epics will be the way in which temporary art installations (the sets) are conceptualised, constructed, and then demolished or abandoned, so as to create a permanent artwork in celluloid (the film).
Visit the Archaeology of CInema website
