Affiliation of Archaeological Sites and People: Case Studies on Interpretation and Presentation Approaches

Archaeological heritage sites are one of the most trustworthy sources of our cultural and sociological history. Thus, once the archaeological heritage comes to daylight after centuries of darkness, they would like to connect with people immediately to pass the information they have been carrying. Hence, the bonding needs a catalyst in order to reflect the spirit of the place. This catalyst is called “interpretation and presentation”. Many approaches from excavating and presenting to virtual off-site tours have been used from the first archaeological excavation to now. These methods go beyond the physical representation of the site solely but help its audience to comprehend its spirit. In this study, three archaeological sites from different countries are investigated in terms of their interpretation and presentation methods. These sites are Colonia Ulpia Traiana (Archaeological Park Xanten) in Germany, Ostia Antica in Italy and ？atalh？yük in Turkey. Having both distinct and common methods, these three sites provide an understanding how interpretation and presentation approaches place themselves as a communication tool between people and the archaeological site