Although it would not be my first choice of an artifact to
study if I had the option of choosing anything at all, I spent some time
thinking about peculiar forms of communication and the concept of a lighthouse
really stood out to me. I don’t know
much about lighthouses or their construction, but it would be interesting to
examine the different technologies involved in a lighthouse structure, and how
crucial they were in the navigation of ships on the coast.
There is a lot to be learned about communication
technologies in a certain era simply by examining how a lighthouse was
constructed: from the construction of a concrete tower, to the lanterns used
and the source of illumination, to the optic lenses used to transmit and focus
the light.
What also stood out to me about lighthouses is that yes, they were an early form of communication and navigation, with the use of symbols and signals providing guidance before recent technologies became available, however, they are also an early form of surveillance. It would be interesting to examine the physical structure from which a coast was guarded in order to understand the nature of surveillance in a particular era.
What also stood out to me about lighthouses is that yes, they were an early form of communication and navigation, with the use of symbols and signals providing guidance before recent technologies became available, however, they are also an early form of surveillance. It would be interesting to examine the physical structure from which a coast was guarded in order to understand the nature of surveillance in a particular era.
Although it is difficult to come up with the right questions
to ask about lighthouses from having no previous complex knowledge about them,
however if this artifact were to undergo research, and the right questions were
formulated, we may be able to get some significant insight in the evolution of
both communications and surveillance technologies.
This would be such a great topic to explore! I actually saw a documentary earlier in the semester, and I cannot find it at all doing a google search, but it was on boats in England and one of the sections was the development of a sea rescue plan at a castle. This castle would have lighthouses to so that the ships could see the shore and so the guards at the castle could see the ships, and if the guards saw that the ship was in trouble, they would send signals to the ship telling them help was on the way, and I think had some internal light and sound communication system to let people know that that a ship was in danger off shore. There are also instances in ancients cultures of armies using lighthouses as signals to let other groups know of enemy ships approaching. I think it would be really fun to explore the communication aspects of lighthouses and their use in military engagements as a form of communication.
ReplyDeleteHey Elizabeth, if the title of that documentary comes back to you, please let me know, I'd be interested in giving it a watch. I spent some more time thinking about the lighthouse as a communication tool and I couldn't help but come up with more parallels, including the lonely nature of what constitutes being a lighthouse keeper, and how similar it is to the isolation of physical surroundings that one undergoes when using their cellphone to participate in a communicative endeavour. That one might be a bit of a stretch but drawing parallels is fun nonetheless!
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