Give a presentation at the representation meeting

Preparing means that you put together documents that can be used to lead the discussion in the meeting. You don't need to be an expert yourself, and you don't need to know everything! By preparing for a meeting, you can also open up a new topic for yourself.

For example, if you want to prepare the topic „Tunics“, it might look like this:

• Question
  • Write down a question and think about all the questions that might come up about this topic.
• Sources Search
  • Register with us and see what is already available internally.
  • Get an overview of different tunics using books, websites, excavation reports, museum exhibits (depending on what you have on hand). You won't be able to compile a complete list. That's perfectly ok. After all, we have a time limit per meeting and can revisit topics if there is interest.
  • Try to find images of the different tunics (photos of finds, drawings of finds, historical images (paintings, drawings), occasional good reenactment examples of find interpretations).
• Sources Fuse
  • Make a note of the sources and what you have found there.
  • Upload your collection of materials to our cloud so that they are accessible to all during the lecture. Please follow the instructions for the HDH data standards.
• Source Critique
  • Sort your images/texts (century, location, tomb …).
  • Look at how each source is related.
• Interpretation
  • Draw conclusions and argue what might be what.
• Present
  • Reconsider what aspects you would like to discuss (e.g. material, cut, stitching …). Not everything needs to be covered. You will have too much material to show and discuss everything. Also the OK.

• You show your materials and can stimulate conversations, e.g. by pointing out differences in patterns. The meeting can „move along“ the pictures so that you don't have to present all of them at the beginning. You do not need to give a lecture or anything like that.
• The other participants add their own knowledge or questions. Interpretations are exchanged and discussed.
• During the meeting, you are responsible for bringing the conversation back to the topic:
  1. Bringing the conversation back to the topic if it digresses.
  2. Steering the conversation in new directions if there is only discussion in the round.
  3. Providing the conversation with material to discuss.

Two hours are over faster than you think! You don't need as much material as you think!

If you would like to prepare a topic but are uncomfortable leading a meeting, that's okay too. You can team up with someone and share the work. (I am also happy to help you find a partner).