Telling the Story of Iosepa: Archaeology, Oral History, and Public Education

Archaeology is a fun and exciting way to learn about the past. By interpreting the material objects left by a person or a group of people, the lived experiences of the past are learned. Combining these artifacts with additional sources of information, like journals and newspapers representing the written record, and interviews representing oral histories, an even clearer picture of the past is made. Critical to archaeologist’s effort in learning about the past is to make this knowledge accessible and interesting to the public. Using artifacts from the Iosepa, Utah, settlement, a case study in bridging the gap between archaeologists and the public was explored through collaboration with descendant and stakeholder communities in the creation of a mobile exhibit. This presentation seeks to display how collaboration and community involvement increases public knowledge about and accessibility to archaeology, while in turn increasing archaeology’s inclusion of a variety of narratives, perspectives, and interpretations of the past.