Communication and classical art: a survey on Riace Bronzes’ perception

Abstract

The paper aims to contribute to the discussion on archaeological communication and non-specialized viewers’ perception of ancient art. The analysis is based on a survey carried out on 73 university students, in the first year of their courses, which are considered as a sample of a young audience, interested in cultural heritage but without specialized knowledge. The questions deal with the Riace Bronzes, a very complex subject for the huge interest they raised so far and for their research implication for the future: the analysed topics broaden from stylistic aspects to the context of use and re-use of the statues; from their technical elements to the identification of the heroes they portray. In the conclusions, a broader reflexion on archaeological communication is given, focussed on the importance of the explanation of the methods used to draw archaeological conclusions and on the necessity to reduce the impact of the adventurous, aesthetical and sensationalist aspects.