From Something Left Behind:
The Process of Archaeological Illustration
A lecture by Kathryn Killackey

Archaeologists rely on visualization to record excavation data, interpret their findings, build narratives, and provide specialist and public audiences with richer visions of the past. Archaeological illustrators, in turn, must draw on often fragmented and incomplete material culture to visualize this archaeological research. In this talk, illustrator Kathryn Killackey discusses the process of creating an archaeological reconstruction. This iterative process provides researchers and illustrators a space in which to explore and test hypotheses, helping to flesh out ideas, uncover contradictions, and identify gaps in knowledge. At the same time, the illustration process is one of elimination, the whittling down of alternative hypotheses, and making concrete one of many options. With examples from her fifteen years of experience, Killackey shows how drawing can lead to greater understanding of particular objects and places and how fragmentary objects can illuminate past lives.

November 20 at 6pm
38 West 86th Street, BGC Lecture Hall