Promotion of archaeological research: towards a dialogue between science and society

The aim of the Archaeology Research Promotion Unit is to create a reasoned dialogue between archaeology and society by drawing on the UMR’s archaeological sites, research themes, publications and communications, and by supporting researchers in their activities promoting archaeology.
This pole also aims to contribute to the professionalisation of those involved in promoting archaeology. In this way, it participates in the training of personnel and students via university courses and professional meetings. Through diversified activities, we attempt to define the issues and practices of this profession, to experiment with new approaches and to reflect on the teaching of history in the National Education system and the place of Prehistory in school curricula. Educational and profile-raising materials are also created in collaboration with the UMR researchers.
In order to pursue these objectives, the promotion of archaeological research and its specialities (mediation, illustration, reconstruction, digital development, etc.) are considered as any situation where research results are transferred to a third party; as part of a social, economic or cultural activity, likely to connect with societal issues. In this way, the promotion of archaeology is not merely limited to the informative and recreational aspect. Instead, through the study of the remains left by past populations, archaeology constantly deals with questions relating to material cultures, identities, migratory flows, the evolution of the human species, the relationship between humanity and its environment, the transformation of lifestyles and gender, in time and space. Archaeology is therefore in a position to enlighten citizens on the major societal issues they face in their daily lives. The discipline thus offers new keys for understanding the ideologies developed by our contemporary societies. The challenge of this pole is to place archaeology at the heart of society by collecting, analysing and using researchers’ data to reveal all the socio-educational assets of the discipline.