Historical Geographies of Lost Worlds: Paleontological Discourses and Dinosaur Exhibitions in Museum Space

Keywords: Dinosaur, Foucauldian Archaeology, Space
Session Type: Virtual Poster Abstract
Day: Saturday
Session Start / End Time: 2/26/2022 09:40 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada)) - 2/26/2022 11:00 AM (Eastern Time (US & Canada))
Room: Virtual 57

Abstract

Museums and exhibits are centers of paleontological discourse that historically have acted as a lens on society's relationship with nature. This discourse can be reconstructed by historical geographers in order to better understand how paleontological discourse evolved through time and space and to determine how this discourse is geographically represented in the space of the dinosaur exhibit. In order to analyze dinosaur exhibits within this geographic lens, my research collected museum guides, exhibit photographs, and field notes. This collection of data was analyzed within a Foucauldian Archaeological framework, in where paleontological discourse were examined to shed light on how systems of paleontological rules are presented in space and to analyze which systems of knowledge were chosen over others. Likewise, my research used discourse analysis to elucidate the historical changes of paleontological discourse. Lastly, my research argued that dinosaur exhibits not only display fossils of extinct animals in geographic space, but are also displaying the rules and power relationships within paleontological discursive practices.