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Month: July 2003

end of empire?

July 31, 2003February 23, 2025 by Michael Shanks

Wallsend UK Roman fort at the end of Hadrian’s Wall. I dug here in 1975; I was 15 and I loved fieldwork. I remember the town the most. The site is right by Swann Hunter Shipbuilders, one of the big firms on the Tyne. My dad worked here – late 60s. Most of the old…

Posted in memory practices, ruins and remains Leave a comment

Media Eigenvectors – metamedia notes

July 30, 2003February 23, 2025 by Michael Shanks

Sam and I have been working on some ideas – in that space between archaeology, media studies, information science and software engineering. Here they are in draft (and written jointly in Hydra) Aims to discuss and describe media in the abstract, that is as distinct from technical and material properties to develop a set of…

Posted in digital media, media matters Leave a comment

Postmodern irony and retro culture?

July 23, 2003February 23, 2025 by Michael Shanks

Inner city regeneration? Or what? Barn Again @ The Biscuit Factory Cultural heritage gone mad I have held back on this one a while – not wanting to hammer the NE of England too much. But here goes anyway. An ART warehouse, brand new interior, in an old food factory in Newcastle-upon-Tyne UK. Urban regeneration…

Posted in cityscapes, cultural politics Leave a comment

Manchester UK – Archaeology and performance

July 13, 2003February 23, 2025 by Michael Shanks

Visiting Nick Kaye in the drama department to talk about his superb book on site specific art (and which features a piece by Cliff McLucas on Brith Gof’s work Tri Bywyd). Tri Bywyd – scenographic design by Cliff McLucas It again confirms, for me, that the contemporary fine arts are where the most interesting intellectual…

Posted in contemporary art, media matters Leave a comment

Looting Baghdad Museum – why we should, or shouldn’t care

July 6, 2003February 23, 2025 by Michael Shanks

We want stories rather than things! Just got the July/August issue of Archaeology Odyssey. Cover – “Rape of an Iraqi museum”Photo – a turbaned head rolling on the floor amidst scattered papers and debris. A headline and image of crime and destruction. We have heard a lot about this in the media since April –…

Posted in archaeology Leave a comment

About this site

Exploring the archaeological imagination – to gain a bigger picture on things that matter.

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michaelshanks @ me.com

mshanks @ stanford . edu

1 650 996 8763

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