More than archaeology: New directions in cultural heritage management

Abstract

Cultural heritage management (CHM) has long been regarded as an off-shoot of mainstream archaeology, largely because CHM began as a result of archaeological concerns about the destruction of sites by amateur fossicking and urban development pressures (Bowdler 1983, Cleere 1989).

The archaeological paradigm which underpinned CHM has recently been challenged, largely as a result of Aboriginal involvement in decision making (Byrne 1991, Sullivan 1993, Ellis 1994, Ross 1996). Focus has moved away from the 'site'; landscapes are becoming the unit of management and the roles of anthropology and indigenous ascription of meaning to place are growing rapidly as the new basis for CHM.  These shifts and their implications for heritage management authorities and academic researchers are examined.