2014 Blogging Archaeology eBook

Because it increases awareness of published academic research, and ispresented in an accessible way, this case study can be viewed as agood example of how blogging can increase awareness of researchand increase its impact.ConclusionThis paper has discussed archaeological blogging in terms ofengagement. The argument that blogging represents the perfectmedium in which to increase levels of engagement with the past hasbeen supported by references to a plethora of successful blogs. Animportant final consideration, though, is how one can assess the impactof archaeological blogging. Quantitatively speaking, this can begauged using readership statistics xl and traffic analysis xli (Rocks-Macqueen 2014; Rothwell 2014). Statistics such as these are essential inevaluating the effectiveness of a blog and offer useful supportingevidence to universities, funding bodies and employers. However, thereis no point trying to quantify the deeply personal experience ofconnecting with the past itself. Encouraging engagement should alwaysbe seen as more important than measuring it.At the core of archaeological blogging is a belief that studying thepast is worthwhile and relevant. Connecting with the past can be ajourney of almost spiritual proportions and having even a basicunderstanding can enrich all aspects of one's life. Consequently,archaeological blogs should be seen as having the potential to affectpeople in an immeasurably important way. When such engagementbecomes the focus of our collective efforts, then, our capacity tochange lives becomes incredibly exciting.Blogging Archaeology Page 15