Marco de la participación
Resumen
Archaeologists tend to bring with them a discourse of development, mainly oriented to tourism, that sells great benefits for all after excavations are conducted. However, although the trend is changing, most projects still lack basic conservation measures, not to talk about any kind of community engagement. Using as models the flagships of Mediterranean archaeology, pyramids, acropolises and colosseums are a mirror to many smaller sites that, by far, do not meet the same numbers. Furthermore, lacking basic post-excavation planning and enhancement, most sites end up abandoned or failed. What kind of management are we doing?Over the last three years, #pubarchMED has been researching archaeological heritage management in the Mediterranean context. Through visits and interviews across the different countries in the region, it reached a better transnational understanding of the dynamics of archaeology. More specifically, the project focused on the impact of archaeological sites. Not only at a structural level for the country, but for the people living close to them. Interestingly, most sites, even those with big numbers, barely offer a real positive impact in local communities beyond few individuals. Our accountability as heritage managers is crucial in this sense, and we bear the responsibility to get involved in these processes. The way we measure concepts like success, sustainability or positive impact, is also controversial, bringing up the different interests that collide among the stakeholders. This paper will address all these issues from the experience of the project and a broad understanding of archaeological heritage management in the Mediterranean.