State, Local and Individual Perceptions of Archaeology as an Economic Asset

Summary

The perception of archaeological resources as an economic asset is a large factor in the interaction of archaeologists with the public. This perception can pre-exist in the location and stakeholders that archaeologists work with, or alternatively archaeologists may seek to create this perception, seeking new value for cultural heritage in people who might otherwise be disengaged. There are certainly challenges to such perceptions, including the matching of hoped-for economic benefits with the realities and practicalities of the tourism industry, and the difficulties in communicating the ‘economic value’ of archaeology. However opportunities also exist including increasing action and funding for preservation, engaging new audiences and bringing sustainable benefits to local communities. Drawing from research on community perceptions in Jordan, the history of ‘value’ debates in the United Kingdom, and the experiences of the Sustainable Preservation Initiative, this presentation will explore ideas of archaeology as an economic asset in the individual, community and state and how they interact with each other.

SAA 2015 abstracts made available in tDAR courtesy of the Society for American Archaeology and Center for Digital Antiquity Collaborative Program to improve digital data in archaeology. If you are the author of this presentation you may upload your paper, poster, presentation, or associated data (up to 3 files/30MB) for free. Please visit http://www.tdar.org/SAA2015 for instructions and more information.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 80th Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA (2015)   •
• Public Perceptions of Archaeology

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