Read Aloud to Support Archaeology

Together, let’s make archaeology heard around the world! Join us on social media to read aloud a passage of your choosing during the year. Let’s promote archaeology through the hashtag #IReadArchaeo.

Reading aloud to
foster a love of reading and archaeology

Following the French president’s announcement that reading would be the major national issue for 2021-2022, the National Book Center, in collaboration with the association Quiet, We’re Reading! (Silence, On Lit!) and the Ministry of National Education (Éducation nationale) and all of its partners, has called for “15 minutes of reading together” across France on Thursday, March 10, 2022, at 10:00 a.m., Paris time—the day France reads together!!

As reading is a key element of all scientific research, ArkeoTopia has decided to participate in this initiative and even to go further. ArkeoTopia invites you —wherever you are— to share a video of yourself reading an archaeology-related text aloud on social media during the year.

Together, let’s show our commitment to books and archaeology
Let’s read aloud and share our videos!

Help! I don’t have any books about archaeology

You might not realize it, but you probably do have one.
Archaeology is about understanding humans through their technical productions. This means archaeologists are interested in how objects were manufactured and used by humans: which raw materials were used to create the object, the guilds that participated in producing it or even the wear patterns left during the use of the object. All of this information provides us with insight into human History over time. Consequently, books on home improvement and the history of technology are also welcome. You don’t need something focused on excavations!

Here are a couple of examples to help you choose:

He approached the back of the room, where the Turing machine lay dormant. It resembled a large upright piano, but the music it produced was much less melodious! It consisted of dozens of reels turning rhythmically, moved along by gears. The infernal machine set its mechanical cogs in motion until it discovered the encryption key.
Didier Leterq, Théo contre le Squale (Théo vs. The Squale), Le Pommier, 2016, p. 75

— Ah! There’s a sherd here… and another there… Oh! Oh! It looks like a piece of Islamic pottery. I should show it to Dad… You see, Sikander, the pieces covered in this glossy varnish are generally recent and the ones that are painted or colorless might be older…
Bernard Gabriel et Philippe Biard, Apprentis archéologues au Zimistan (Apprentice Archaeologists in the Zimistan), Collection Folio Junior – Drôles d’aventures 889, Gallimard Jeunesse, 1998, p. 18

How to participate

Choose a book to read from
1. As the theme is archaeology, the subject should be relevant to archaeology.
2. Avoid history books about historical figures such as Louis XIV, Napoleon, etc. or specific dates, so that the subject’s primary focus is archaeology.
3. All literary genres are welcome:
  1. Novels about archaeologists, graphic novels, detective novels, etc. Any genre of fiction you’d like, such as novels by Agatha Christie, like Murder in Mesopotamia, or Tunnels by Rutu Modan, Fées contre faits à Brocéliande (Fairies vs. facts at Brocéliande) by Christiane Angibous-Esnault, etc.
  2. Short-form literature, including short stories and haiku, is also acceptable. Nothing in mind? How about “Archaeologists without Borders“? You can download it for free from ArkeoTopia.
  3. Biographies or autobiographies of archaeologists, like Gertrude Bell by Fergus Mason.
  4. Poetry, such as the poems suggested in the page of poems about archaeology
  5. Articles from archaeology journals like Archaeology, World Archaeology, Dig Into History Magazine for High School students, etc.
  6. Dictionary entries on words connected to archaeology, like stratigraphy, experimentation, microscope, use-wear analysis, etc.
  7. Documentaries, such as works that popularize archaeology.
  8. Scientific texts like research articles or monographs by archaeologists.
  9. Or any other subject you can find.
Record yourself reading a passage aloud
1. Mention the title of the book and the author.
2. Don’t go over 59 seconds.
Post the video on a social media site
1. Use the hashtag #IReadArchaeo.
2. Tag ArkeoTopia (find our social media accounts below).