Archaeological Site Management and Local Development

Abstract

The increasing pressure for archaeological research and excavation to prove its worth in terms of economic value and social benefit must in turn be linked to broader definitions of what constitutes economic and social benefit and how it is measured. This paper considers ways in which archaeological sites can become engines for local and regional economic and social development that go beyond the expectations of tourism, and how this can be embedded in site management practices. It argues that tangible economic and social benefits can be generated when there is an active excavation, research, or conservation project and linked management presence at a site. Using two site examples in Turkey, the paper demonstrates ways in which direct (jobs, direct spend, access to funds, access to markets) and indirect (training, capacity building, empowerment) benefits can be achieved. There remains, however, a gap in how this benefit is quantified and how it is communicated to investors/donors, politicians and the public.