The survey “Image of archaeology in Europe – 2015” was conducted by Harris Interactive. The purpose of this study was to analyse the social meaning of archaeology and archaeological heritage on a larger, European scale. This survey focuses on the points of how European citizens perceive archaeology and how archaeology can be promoted in a better way so that to strengthen its links with citizens. This wide-scale study offers the first opportunity to comparatively address the issues of the meaning of archaeology and archaeological heritage in a quantitatively reliable way.
The survey was an online study based on the Harris Interactive panel and Toluna. It consisted of 28 questions of open and closed type. The study was conducted in nine European countries: Germany, Greece, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom. In the study participated 4,516 adults, age 18 or older across the nine European countries. For each country, a population of 500 people was interviewed (except 516 people in Greece to reach a representative sample of the population). The representativeness of the sample used for the study is determined according to socio-demographic criteria, such as: gender, age, and various socio-professional categories.
Although such studies have been made on a national scale, the uniqueness of this survey bases on its cohesive methodology and comparative group of respondents through Europe. The 4,516 people who participated in the survey allow to a broader insight into what the European citizens think about archaeology, how they understand and valorise heritage and knowledge of the past. It also gives the opportunity to have a clear view of general tendencies in Europe and to intersect each country’s result.
One of the report’s results will be an article published in a scientific journal. The article will analyse the three main points of the survey: 1) the image of archaeology and its definition in the general public’s opinion, 2) the importance of archaeology to the society and values that it represents, and 3) the expectations that are put on archaeologists and archaeology by the society.