THE MANAGEMENT OF WORLD HERITAGE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SERIAL SITES: AN ONGOINGEXPERIMENT
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 2021-02-09

In 2018, there were 343 World Heritage (WH) cultural sites in European Union (EU28). More than one third of them are serial WH sites, composed of more than two spatially separated components. A fair number of them are archaeological serial WH sites of intercommunal, interregional, national or international spatial configuration. For a favorable management of the whole, these heritage sites demand a complex coordination and cooperation of archaeologists and heritage managers. The aim of this communication is to review the category of WH archaeological serial sites in general, and transboundary serial sites in particular. Moreover, we want to drag attention on the management challenges these UNESCO sites deal with. Through case studies we want to present how, within the same WH serial site, different archaeological paradigms result in various interpretations of archaeological heritage, but also in different conservation strategies and management models. Specifically, in the context of underwater and wetland transboundary WH serial archaeological site, a comparative analysis will be presented. It will show the different conceptualization of the heritage that can be observed in the pre-inscription period (in the selection of the sites, the designation of the core and the buffer zones, the consideration of related and/or associated sites) and how they result in the post-inscription management policies (protection, conservation, valorization). Finally, the differences that can occur between archaeologists’ and heritage managers’ point of view will be discussed, as well as the importance of their mutual transfer of knowledge.


Author(s): Brancelj, Ana (Université Savoie Mont Blanc)