PhD Student

Thesis Title - Historical Perspectives of Mapping in Archaeology: Semiotic Critiques and Standardised Systems

Language is a tool used by archaeologists to describe, represent and theorize. By ‘language’ in this context I refer not only to the spoken and written word, but predominantly to visual languages, primarily maps in the context of this study. Semiotic theory details a specific theoretical approach toward language that allows for the examination of it and its functions, understanding its strengths and its weaknesses. This is something that will be applied here to an archaeological context, looking specifically at the structure and function of the language of site mapping.

An understanding of how mapping works will be applied to the case study of Angkor, examining the mapping use in the area from historical beginnings through to contemporary agendas. The variety of maps associated with the area are important to note, there are tourist maps, which have a tradition stretching back over one hundred years, there are archaeological site maps, there are general geographical maps, and satellite imaging maps. The importance of mapping in relation to the Angkor Archaeological Park cannot be underestimated, as it is through mapping that UNESCO define the size and scope of what the park is and how much of the area is protected and preserved. The question of scale is also essential to such an undertaking, as work on the site occurs at a microscopic level at times, or utilizes satellite images of vast amounts of geographic space at others. By using the tools of semiotics to explore the possibilities of a consistent mapping system I aim to illustrate the enhanced potentials inherent within a universal approach toward archaeological mapping, a global mapping system that incorporates time, space and scale, drawing on both traditional techniques and modern technologies to compile a consistent semiotic system specific to archaeological mapping. My work is not looking at maps per se, but the specifically the semiotics of mapping with Angkor as its case study.