The Ancient Past: Learning a Language to Connect Materials with Users
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Date
2019-05
Authors
Buchanan, Sarah A.
Bruner, Garrett R.
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Society of American Archivists
Abstract
Department
Description
Archives of the ancient world evince the longevity of our
shared interests in preserving and documenting the
culture, government, and knowledge of civilization.
Whether studied by global travelers, classical archaeologists
and historians, or filmmakers and television producers,
archival materials from the ancient Mediterranean are
contributing to collective memory, educational programming,
and institutional collections.
In this vein, the Program in Aegean Scripts and Prehistory
(PASP) in the Department of Classics at The University of
Texas at Austin fosters research and scholarship on the use of
writing in Minoan Crete, Mycenaean Greece, and the island
of Cyprus during the Bronze Age. There is a special focus on
two early writing systems: Linear A and Cretan hieroglyphics
(1900–1450 BCE) and Linear B (1400–1200 BCE).
The program boasts an international base of researchers and
users, and in recent years, staff have improved collection
accessibility by reconfiguring physical spaces, advancing
digitization projects, preserving endangered email accounts,
and expanding the scope of collections to provide better
access to these important materials.