“I Don’t Know What That is But I Love That’s It’s There”: Rethinking the Heritage Values and Public Outcomes of In Situ Archaeological Conservation and Presentation in Australia

Abstract

Conserved archaeological remains are kept in situ and presented to the public within new developments all over the world. If David Lowenthal (1985) was correct and heritage is about creating something not conserving things, what it is that these archaeological places create in contemporary society? This PhD argues that the ways conserved archaeological remains are experienced and valued by the public are poorly understood within the archaeological and heritage professions. Based on interviews and surveys at five case study sites in Australia, this thesis draws on the perspectives of fifty-five heritage professionals and nearly three hundred members of the public, highlighting a disjunct between professional intentions and public reception. It challenges accepted professional views that archaeological practice is primarily about the recovery and dissemination of information about the past and suggests this focus obscures the far broader concepts of meaning and value the public ascribe to conserved archaeological remains. The relationships between people and in situ archaeological sites as places can produce authentic and embodied emotional experiences. In turn these experiences can support deep connections and attachments to place and people over time, provide comfort, inspiration and perspective and create outcomes relating to personal and community identity and belonging, enjoyment and wellbeing. These findings have implications for both archaeological and heritage practice and education and point to new ways of thinking about the purpose and outcomes of in situ archaeological conservation and presentation and the practice of archaeology more broadly. In particular: the reconceptualisation of archaeological sites as heritage places not just resources; the acceptance of public values beyond learning about the past including emotional experience and place attachment; decision-making that prioritises public benefit; and recognition and support for wellbeing outcomes.