"Nowhere in archaeology is the gap between theory and practice more evident than in its ambivalent engagement with economic development. This groundbreaking volume assembles practicing archaeologists, economists, and NGO officials in an extensive exploration of the theoretical, practical and ethical issues raised by archaeologists' use of cultural heritage to support economic development. The first chapters consider the problem of articulating the value of tangible and intangible heritage when economic measures alone are inadequate. Subsequent chapters present regional perspectives on archaeology and development, and present a host of case studies from around the globe that describe archaeologists' development projects, including some that are successful and others that are less so. These studies both suggest best practices in the implementation of development projects and illuminate the obstacles to success created by political conflict and competing human needs. Ethical issues and practical considerations converge in chapters that explore the role that members of local communities should play in the design, management and governance of archaeological and heritage resources. In this volume, archaeologists and heritage professionals will encounter a thought-provoking international discourse concerning the path forward for archaeology as the field engages with economic development."

What are the implications of mass tourism and globalization for the field of archaeology? How does this change popular understandings of the past? Increasingly archaeological sites worldwide are being commodified for a growing tourist trade. At best, expansion of programs can aid in the protection and historic preservation of sites and strenghten community identities. However, unchecked commercial development may undermine the integrity of these same sites, replacing local interests with corporate ones, economically and culturally. Within this volume, original case studies from well-known sites in Cambodia, Israel, England, Mexico, and North America are presented to address the complex interaction between archaeology and nationalist, political, and commercial policies. This book should appeal to archaeologists, applied anthropologists, tourism and economic development specialists, and historic preservationists alike, as well others with an interest in the preservation of archaeological sites as historic locales.

This book provides a broad overview of the key concepts in public archaeology, a research field that examines the relationship between archaeology and the public, in both theoretical and practical terms. While based on the long-standing programme of undergraduate and graduate teaching in public archaeology at UCL’s renowned Institute of Archaeology, the book also takes into account the growth of scholarship from around the world and seeks to clarify what exactly ‘public archaeology’ is by promoting an inclusive, socially and politically engaged vision of the discipline. Written for students and practitioners, the individual chapters provide textbook-level introductions to the themes, theories and controversies that connect archaeology to wider society, from the trade in illicit antiquities to the use of digital media in public engagement, and point readers to the most relevant case studies and learning resources to aid their further study. This book was produced as part of JISC's Institution as e-Textbook Publisher project. Find out more at https://www.jisc.ac.uk/rd/projects/institution-as-e-textbook-publisher Praise for Key Concepts in Archaeology 'Littered throughout with concise and well-chosen case studies, Key Concepts in Public Archaeology could become essential reading for undergraduates and is a welcome reminder of where archaeology sits in UK society today.' British Archaeology

"Peter G. Gould seeks to identify the essential success factors associated with a growing practice in archaeology: the sponsorship by archaeologists or heritage managers of local projects such as museums, tourism businesses, crafts cooperatives and similar activities within communities adjacent to archaeological or heritage sites. Typically, these are small projects intended to support economic advance in small communities. Rarely are they reported on in scholarly papers and, until now, they have never been subjected to study grounded in economic theory and practice. This is an area of study and analysis that is too important to lack suitable academic attention. This book argues that an essential factor in the success of community projects relates to the mechanisms used to govern the projects at the local level, and provides a much-needed systematical evaluation of the issues surrounding such governance. Drawing together theoretical insights from economics, political science, tourism scholarship, complexity scholarship, and non-profit best practices, it presents a model for community governance structures and illustrates the workings of that model through the four case studies. Armed with this book, practitioners will have both a theoretical foundation and practical approaches to consider when designing community projects"--

Communities and Cultural Heritage explores the relationship between communities, their cultural heritage and the global forces that control most of the world’s wealth and resources in today’s world. Bringing together scholars and heritage practitioners from nine countries, this book contributes to the ongoing dialogue on community heritage by analysing impediments to full community participation. The underminin of local communities comes at a high price. As the chapters in this book demonstrate, the knowledge embedded within traditional and Indigenous heritage creates communities that are more resilient to environmental and social stressors and more responsive to contemporary challenges such as climate change, environmental degradation, post-disaster recovery and relocation. Cultural heritage practices often fail to capitalise upon local knowledge and traditional skills and undervalue the potential contribution of local communities in finding creative and resourceful solutions to the issues they are confronting. Arguing that the creation of successful community heritage project requires ongoing reflection on the aims, methods, financing and acceptable outcomes of projects, the volume also demonstrates that the decolonization of Western-focussed heritage practices is an ongoing process, by which subaltern groups are brought forward and given a space in the heritage narrative. Reflecting on trends that impact communities and heritage sites across different geographical regions, Communities and Cultural Heritage will be of interest to academics, students and practitioners of cultural heritage,archaeology and anthropology around the world.

Explains how recent scientific advances have revolutionised our understanding of prehistoric diet, economy and society.

This 'Very Short Introduction' provides an up-to-date account of the problems, concerns and nature of archaeology, with reference to all the latest archaeological techniques, theories, and excavations.