Text Mining to unveil Prehistoric Pastness in Museums

Abstract

This paper is a presentation of a current work in progress, specifically the exploratory phase for determining a methodological framework, clear objectives, and establishing preliminary results to guide the future direction of the project. The paper sees the application of text analysis to a corpus body of texts with a focus on highlighting heritage and intersectional data present within these texts. The approach of text analysis allows for a quantitative analysis of modern perceptions of the past, narratives given to the past by modern people, and the resulting context elements of the past are placed in stemming from modern influences. With a focus on how prehistory is presented to modern people, in the specific context of museums, it is necessary to trace the contents of texts depicting the past in these museums. The overall goal of this paper is to have a deeper understanding of the impact modern narratives attributed to the past has on the prehistoric past in an educational context. Specifically, looking at narratives focused on the process of neolithization as discussed in museums. Additionally, preliminary explorations give insight into the benefits of the methodology and how to best establish next steps to propel future research.