Latin inscriptions in the Ashmolean Museum: influencing curatorial practice and extending educational scope to new audiences

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

The core research component of our AHRC grant, 'Facilitating Access to Latin inscriptions in Britain's Oldest Public Museum through Scholarship & Technology', is a new edition of the museum's collection of 470 Latin inscriptions. Our work in storerooms & archives has uncovered unpublished inscriptions, has rediscovered inscriptions in the collection which were believed to be lost, & has resulted in new readings & interpretations of published inscriptions, through the use of modern digital technology. Both monumental & non-monumental inscriptions have the potential to offer insights into individuals' lives; it is this possibility for telling stories about the past that has proved effective in showing visitors to the museum how Latin inscriptions can change their views of Roman society.We've collaborated with staff in the Ashmolean's Antiquities, Design, Conservation, & Education Depts to develop new displays in the museum, to design innovative events engaging the public in our research, to deliver a joined-up programme of public engagement using social media & digital resources along with public lectures & gallery tours, & a multifaceted engagement with schools that has offered resources & activities for primary & secondary schools, has delivered training for secondary teachers & museum volunteers, & has worked with the Cambridge Schools Classics Project to produce mini-films for use in classrooms for teaching GCSE Classical Civilisation. We have systematically evaluated the effectiveness of the different forms of public engagement, & continue to explore innovative pathways for impact, using feedback from participants to inform future plans.Firstly, we shall organise 2 workshops for museum curators in the UK & Europe, to exchange knowledge about successful strategies for facilitating access to Latin inscriptions among the public. Secondly, we shall collaborate with Warwick Sutton Scholars to offer to school students from widening participation backgrounds an opportunity to learn new skills in order to be able to engage in their own research, & to learn about Roman culture & the Latin language, introducing to the Roman world pupils who do not have the opportunity to study classical subjects as part of their usual curriculum. Thirdly, we will adapt the educational resources which we have created for UK schools for use in North America and Australasia. With our guidance, more teachers will have access to primary source material that can be used for teaching classical civilisation & Latin language. Finally, we shall create a varied collection of replicas of everyday objects which bear Latin inscriptions of different kinds: these will be used by the Education Dept. for school visits & for touch-tours for visually impaired visitors. Somewhat speculatively, we would also like to explore the potential for such objects to stimulate groups of adults who suffer from strokes & dementia by taking artefacts out into the community & leading interactive activities about writing technologies.Our research has highlighted the potential of unpublished & little-known inscriptions in the museum as sources for Roman social history. Several benefits will result from our proposed activities for different constituencies: professional curators in heritage management will be able to exchange ideas about best practice in facilitating public access to Latin inscriptions; our project will introduce school students in the UK from widening participation profiles who do not otherwise study classical subjects to the excitement of working with original artefacts, & will encourage them to develop skills in carrying out & presenting their research; educational resources created for the UK will be adapted for international use, & teachers will be supported in using Latin inscriptions in their teaching; our replicas will allow individuals to touch & interact with the objects, stimulating responses towards the objects & the social history behind them.