Comacchio (FE)

Coordinator/Mission Manager

Andrea Gaucci

Field of research and classifications

Archaeological disciplines from prehistory to the medieval period

VRA: area 10

ERC: SH 6, The study of the human past: archaeology, history, and memory

SDG: 4) Quality education; 11) Sustainable cities and communities; 15) Life on land

Prevalent type of public engagement

Organization of initiatives to promote, consult, and share research

Description

The project, initiated in 2020 as part of the larger European project Interreg VALUE, aimed to disseminate research methods and findings to a wide audience as its public engagement objective. As part of these goals, open days were organized at the research sites (excavation areas and deposits at the Ancient Delta Museum) providing explanations of the methodologies adopted and the initial results obtained. Additionally, annual conferences are planned with the Municipality of Comacchio and Pianura di Ferrara Reclamation Consortium to present the results achieved. Simultaneously, conferences on the mission's objectives and outcomes are held at external universities (e.g. Paris 1 and Cork in 2022). In 2022, as part of the ministerial project Spina100, the mission was featured in an in-depth section of the exhibition "Spina100: From Myth to Discovery," held in Comacchio from June to October. The EOS website, along with Instagram and Facebook channels, serves as a direct tool of communication with the broader public. It is expected that the mission will increasingly garner the interest of the local community, and proactive participation initiatives are planned for the future. Nationally and internationally, dissemination activities through conferences, exhibitions, and scientific publications will undoubtedly promote awareness of the project. The high attendance numbers recorded during the mission's open days, conferences, and the Comacchio exhibition serve as significant quantitative evaluation indicators of its local impact.

Locations and Periods

Comacchio (FE), two missions each year in spring and autumn.

Collaborations and Partners

Municipality of Comacchio, Ancient Delta Museum, Pianura di Ferrara Reclamation Consortium, Ministry of Culture, CNRS, University of Strasbourg, British School at Rome

Objectives and Engaged Audiences

The primary objective of the public engagement activities is to share the research methods and findings with the national and international scientific community and the broader public. Special attention is given to the local community. In a region characterized by illegal excavations, raising awareness about the preservation of archaeological heritage and projects investigating it using methods that maintain the informational integrity of the contexts is considered to be of primary importance. The mission also involves local entities, not only in scientific collaboration but also in the planning of dissemination activities.

Impact and Evaluation Tools

It is expected that the mission will increasingly attract the interest and proactive participation of the local community. Nationally and internationally, dissemination activities through conferences, exhibitions, and scientific publications will undoubtedly enhance the project's appeal, as demonstrated by the collaborating foreign partners. Quantitative impact indicators will include an increase in the number of visitors during "open excavation" days, the involvement of students who ask to carry out theses on the topic, and visits to the website and other social channels.

The high attendance numbers recorded during the mission's open days, conferences, and the Comacchio exhibition serve as significant quantitative evaluation tools at the local level. The media coverage of the public engagement initiatives is ensured by news articles in local newspapers and institutional channels. The interest in the project on the part of institutions is documented by the number of collaborations and partners, including international entities.

Keywords

Etruscans, Spina, Port