Introduction. This thesis examines how digital tools can support reparative
historiography within digital heritage projects engaging with colonial
archives. It focuses on how interactive digital storytelling can highlight
Egyptians’ contributions to the HU–MFA Giza excavations and challenge
long-standing Western-centred narratives.
Methods. This thesis combined Postcolonial Critical Realism (PCR) and
Actor-Network Theory (ANT) as a theoretical framework to develop a proof-
of-concept (POC) of a digital interactive narrative integrated within the
Harvard Camp digital heritage project. Semi-structured qualitative
interviews were conducted with key stakeholders. The transcripts, along with
documentation of the design process, formed the primary data sources for
analysis.
Analysis. Qualitative analyses, framed through a PCR and ANT lens, were
conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the POC in promoting a reparative
narrative of the HU-MFA archive.
Results. Results indicate that interactive digital storytelling can challenge the
perceived neutrality of colonial archives. By transforming static records into
dynamic narratives, it shifts users from passive observers to co-authors of
historical knowledge, promoting more flexible and inclusive representations
of labour, authorship, and expertise in Egyptian archaeology.
Conclusion. Beyond Egyptology, this thesis proposes a flexible model for
engaging with colonial archives in the context of digital heritage by
positioning interactivity as a historiographical approach.