Theme:
Archaeology and the European Year of Cultural Heritage
Session format:
Discussion session: session with papers of six minutes and six slides
Title:
Out of the Past into the Future – Professional Cohesion through Diversity
Content:
The aim of this session is to promote cooperative practices between heritage experts within the archaeological process. The breakup of field archaeology from a governmental controlled activity into a competitive market has had a huge impact on the archaeological process in many countries. Similar organisational changes are also apparent in other specialist fields, for example, the contracting of commission based conservation studios at the expense of museum conservators is increasingly common in European countries. Consequently, heritage experts’ goals can be fragmented and diverse.
Consolidating the various expert roles within the archaeological process will combine our strengths and counteract this fragmentation. A dialogue on the common goals in the archaeological process, establishing how these goals can be reached, is needed to assure adequate scientific results and increase awareness on the significance of heritage in contemporary society. This will open up the possibility of finding new and innovative ways to present archaeology as well as heritage preservation and appeal to divergent groups in society.
This CIfA-affiliated session will include discussion about the potential formation of a new CIfA “Conservation and Materials Science” Special Interest Group, consolidating conservation as part of the archaeological process. Session organisers welcome contributions where co-operation between stakeholders stands as a key factor for example:
- Heritage preservation as a means of social identity marker and foundation of social cohesion (e.g. integration of ethnic communities; recovery after crisis; etc.).
- The professional role of the conservator: the integration of conservation in archaeology and accreditation as heritage professionals.
Keywords:
Collaboration, Archaeology, Conservation, Management, Politics
Session associated with MERC:
no
Session associated with CIfA:
yes
Session associated with SAfA:
no
Main organiser:
Conservator Archaeology Vivian Smits (Sweden) 1,2
Co-organisers:
Senior Objects and Archaeological Conservator Holly Jones-Amin (Australia) 3
Conservator Maruchi Yoshida (Germany) 4
Dr Ineke Joosten (Netherlands) 5
Dr. Evelyne Godfrey (United Kingdom) 6
Affiliations:
1. SVK │Västarvet Studio Västsvensk Konservering
2. Linnaeus University, GRASCA
3. The Grimwade Centre for Cultural Materials Conservation – Commercial Conservation Services UoM Commercial Ltd
4. YCONS Yoshida-conservation
5. Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands
6. Uffington Heritage Watch
THIS SESSION CAN NOT BE SELECTED AT THIS MOMENT