https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4261-0272
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ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic seriously affected spaces of cultural heritage that play a significant role in the extension of scientific culture. This document addresses its effect on public communication of the archaeological site of Atapuerca (Spain), World Heritage (UNESCO). It contributes to the scarce production of information from primary sources on public communication of science in archaeology and archaeological heritage. A qualitative investigation with 116 interviews was carried out with three groups of agents: responsible Atapuerca scientists, Atapuerca communication institutions, and local, regional, national and international scientific journalists. The results indicate that Atapuerca managed to minimise the impact of confinement and maintain its visibility through strategies mediated by technology and the connection of the narrative of human evolution to the pandemic. It shows the interconnections between science and society and reflects how the production of knowledge in contemporary science is multidimensional and operates at various levels and with different social agents.
Acknowledgements
We wish to thank all the interviewees for their collaboration with this study and for providing their testimony. We thank Susana Sarmiento (Atapuerca Foundation) and Antonio Mencía (MHE) for providing data on the impact of Atapuerca’s social networks, Aurora Martín for providing information on visits to the MHE, and Jamie Benyei for translating the manuscript.
Disclosure Statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.
Geolocation Information
The Sierras de Atapuerca Archaeological Sites are located at 42° 21´ 4.11” north and 3° 31´ 2.40” west.
Notes
1. The data was collected by a researcher external to the Atapuerca team. Each interviewee was asked to sign a consent form, in accordance with Points 4, 8 and 9 of the Ethical Principles that govern relationships with research subjects, under the Social Sciences Code of Ethics (CONICET) (Res. 2857/06). However, to preserve their identity, it was decided not to use their names and instead, to identify them with a number and their institutional or group affiliation. It should be noted that the interviews are part of a broader project that analyses the role of public communication in the management of the Atapuerca World Heritage archaeological sites.
2. This question, which was put to all interviewees in all groups, was part of a larger questionnaire containing other questions that have been analysed in publications linked to the broader research project, albeit with different objectives linked to perceptions by the different agents of Atapuerca regarding the communication of information about the deposits.
3. The three co-directors of the project and two logistics managers responded to the interview. Also, the following researchers answered the questionnaire: 2 from ‘La Paredeja’; 6 from the ‘Trinchera sediment washing laboratory’ (Arlanzón River); 9 from ‘Portalón de Cueva Mayor’; 4 from ‘El Mirador’; 9 from ‘Gran Dolina TD8’; 7 from ‘Galería’; 8 from ‘Gran Dolina TD4’; 10 from ‘Cueva Fantasma’; 6 from ‘Gallery of the Exterior Statues’; and 10 from ‘Sima del Elefante’.
4. To carry out the interviews of this sub-group, their reference organisations were visited. The interviews are distributed as follows. At CAREX, eight interviews were conducted. At the Atapuerca Foundation, the director, the person in charge of communication, and the person in charge of social networks responded. At MEH, the general coordinator, two communication managers, and a didactic manager responded. At CENIEH, the director and the person responsible for communication responded. Finally, at IPHES, the director and the head of communication responded.
5. The journalists interviewed belong to the following media organisations: Periódico de Atapuerca (Freelance); Radio Cadena SER (National-Burgos Station); National Radio Spain (Burgos-Freelance Station); National Geographic and Geo magazines; Canal La 8 Burgos, Castilla y León Television; newspapers El País and La Vanguardia; National Radio (Madrid); Spanish television in Burgos (RTVE); Gatopardo Latin America magazine; Castilla y León News Agency (ICAL); RTVE Channel (Chronicles Program); Radio Onda Cero; the Burgos newspaper; RTVE Channel (Arqueomania Program); newspaper El Correo de Burgos; The World of Castilla y León; BURGOSconecta.es; ABC newspaper; newspaper El Mundo (Science section).
11. The field of science communication involves, sometimes conflictingly, social agents from universities, science labs, journalism, media companies, non-profit organisations, professional associations, industries, governmental agencies, think tanks, private research organisations, philanthropic foundations, health professionals and institutions, informal science centres and entities, and science writers and practitioners (Bucchi and Trench Citation2021). Also, the ‘public’ became more implicated as ‘science content producers’ from tweeting and blogging practices to public participation initiatives and citizen science projects (Horst, Davies, and Irwin Citation2017; Davies and Horst Citation2016).
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Notes on contributors
María Eugenia Conforti
María Eugenia Conforti is a researcher at the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research of Argentina (CONICET), and the Institute of Archaeological and Paleontological Research of the Pampean Quaternary (INCUAPA). She is Professor at the National University of the Center of the Buenos Aires Province (UNICEN-Argentina) and serves as Coordinator of the Higher University Diploma in Public Communication of Science (UNICEN-Argentina).
Carmelo Polino
Carmelo Polino is Assistant Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Oviedo, Spain. He investigates public understanding of science, STS studies, philosophy of science, and sociology of science communication.
Juan Carlos Díez Fernández-Lomana
Juan Carlos Díez Fernández-Lomana is Full Professor in Prehistory, Director of Prehistoric Archaeology Group in Humanities, and Communication Faculty of Burgos University (Spain).