2019 Fiscal Year Research-status Report
A Heritage Study on the Modern Use and Value of Archaeological Remains in Peru
| Project/Area Number |
19K13419
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| Research Institution | Ritsumeikan University |
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Principal Investigator |
サウセド ダニエル 立命館大学, 言語教育センター, 嘱託講師 (10727671)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
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| Keywords | Heritage / Andes / Archaeology / Cultural Anthropology / Peru |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
The objective of this research is to study the relationship between archaeological heritage and modern society. To achieve this objective, it is important to identify social actors (stakeholders) related to archaeological heritage, as well as their roles in the management of this heritage. For the FY2019, this research project continued collecting information of social actors near two sites in Peru: Huaca Melgarejo Archaeological Site (Lima City) and Pacopampa Archaeological Site (Cajamarca Region).
For this season, we mapped social actors to identify key stakeholders that are in charge of archaeological heritage or advocated to its protection. Compared to previous seasons, we have noticed an increase on individuals interested in archaeological heritage. To understand how these actors perceived archaeological heritage, and tho have a better idea of why they are interested in it, we carried out informal interviews and participant observation of their activities. We noticed that some of these interests include using these sites as propaganda for obtaining political power, a natural interest for improving their living environment and a genuine interest to know more about past societies. These agendas may interfere or support protection initiatives carried out by the central government.
We also noticed there is a constant conflict between stakeholders into deciding how to manage these sites and how to make public the information about them, especially in social media.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
1: Research has progressed more than it was originally planned.
Reason
The inclusion of more stakeholders gave us the opportunity to observe the different ways archaeological remains, identifying uses we did not observe in previous years, as well as a competition between stakeholders to have control over the use of archaeological remains. Identifying these relationships is important because most of this information does not reach government or academic reports, and we were able to notice its influence in how archaeological remains were protected or not. This research project is now analyzing these social contexts and comparing them to other similar examples in the academic literature, as well as discussing this topic with other specialists.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
For next seasons, this project wants to continue analyzing the relationship between key stakeholders and archaeological heritage, particularly in the image they intend to project to society. Also, we will expand our interviews to try to identify when archaeological heritage became an important issue for these stakeholders.
This project will also expand the scope of the concept of "heritage" to include historical and modern periods, since we realized that most stakeholders do not divide their idea of heritage as specialists do.
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Research Products
(6 results)
