Archaeological Rhetoric and Photographic Discovery

Photography has played a pivotal role in the discovery and global recognition of significant archaeological sites, as demonstrated by the work of renowned photojournalists Ara Güler and Josef Koudelka. Güler's groundbreaking photographs, including those of Mount Nemrut's giant statues (1958) and Mount Ararat's traces of Noah's Ark (1959), brought these sites to worldwide attention, while Koudelka's 'Ruins' project (1991-2019) updated the visibility of Mediterranean archaeological cities. The study examines how their photographic rhetoric serves as both a record and metaphor for archaeological imagination and classical values, drawing on theories by Volney, Barthes, Flüsser, Deleuze, Shanks, and Tilley. This interdisciplinary approach maps archaeological contemplation theory to photographic discourse, revealing the profound impact of visual documentation on public perception and preservation.

Atay, S. (2025). ARCHAEOLOGICAL RHETORIC AND PHOTOGRAPHIC DISCOVERY. European Journal of Literature, Language and Linguistics Studies, 9(2). https://doi.org/10.46827/ejlll.v9i2.619