Europe, a common heritage. Dan Carlsson. Archaeological evidence: from scientific research to a collective awareness of heritage.

Today, Cultural Heritage is becoming more and more a part of the tourist industry, for both good and bad. Historical monuments are seen as resources for regional development, and they are also considered important for the identity of people, and their roots and anchoring in a region.

This so-called culture tourism is mainly concerned with monuments, like castles, churches and other buildings, what we might call the visible heritage. But there is also another side of the historical heritage, not so obvious to everybody, not so spectacular, but still important, especially when it comes to understanding the early development of our European society.

This cultural heritage is more or less invisible and is only detectable through archaeological investigations and excavations. What I would like to point out here today is the importance of this archaeological record, both for the understanding of our early history in Europe, and the historical contacts between our different countries. But I would also like to stress the importance of this invisible heritage for the public in general, an importance that might be far stronger than we realise. I will do it from the horizon of the island of Gotland, situated in the middle of the Baltic Sea. And I will do it with the help of three different examples.

The first example I would like to display concerns the excavation and the reconstruction of a single prehistoric grave and the importance of this monument in different ways.

Some 15 years ago, one of the roads in the northern part of the island was to be broadened. To perform that job, though, it was necessary to excavate a grave from the Iron Age, which was in the way of the new road. The plan from the beginning was, as usual, to investigate the grave, and then to remove it completely. That would be the normal way of doing rescue archaeology.

But the local population reacted very strongly, and after a long discussion it was decided to move the grave some hundreds of metres further south, to a place under the auspices of the local folk museum society. Here, the grave was actually  in its full extension, except for putting the skeleton back again, and the site is today one of the tourist attractions on the island. At the same time, it is also a very good example for the archaeologists at the Gotland University College to visit, and to learn how the graves at this time were constructed.

 

However, most fascinating is, as I see it, the engagement from the local population. It was the strong influence from the local population that made it possible to reconstruct the grave. As can be seen, the grave is extremely well maintained. Every summer the sand is cleaned from the grave and the grass on the stones is taken away. An old man from the area carries out this work. He is not paid for the work he is doing, and he does it voluntarily, and he has done it for several years.

The question arises, why on earth is he doing this? What is the force that makes him, year after year, carrying out the maintenance of this single grave from a very distant past? The way he is doing it, is much the same as people take care of a grave of their loved one at a churchyard today.

Obviously, it means a lot to him to carry out this unpaid mission. And I have a strong feeling that he recognises the grave as part of his Cultural Heritage, and that he feels that he actually has a kind of relation to the dead person that was buried in the grave. The people on Gotland have a very strong feeling even for a distant prehistory of the island.

 

A ship grave close to the west coast of the Swedish island of Gotland (photo © hidden europe).

Now, let me give you another example from Gotland of how archaeological investigation can be combined with local engagement and seen as a sign of the importance of the archaeological heritage. Last year, the regional museum on the island, together with school children, excavated and reconstructed a damaged grave from the Bronze Age, some 2.500 years old, a grave in the form of a stone ship.

The school used the time to have a living history lesson directly in the field, in the form of a participation in an archaeological excavation. The museum, on the other hand, fulfilled one of its aims; namely, to co-operate with schools in making history alive and at the same time got the grave restored.

My purpose in showing these two examples is to point out how important the more or less invisible archaeological heritage is to the public in general and how it strengthens the people’s regional identity.

There is, however, a contradiction in this matter, at least in Sweden. The public’s access to historical buildings, ruins and other kinds of clearly visible monuments is in many countries rather obvious. Thousands of well-maintained monuments all over Europe are open to visitors, and with a good display of information.

But when it comes to archaeological heritage, the situation is completely different. It is very much an area only accessible to professionals, museums and scientific institutions. At the same time, there is a tremendous growth of so-called re -enactment groups all over the world, making our prehistory alive.

 

In other words, the public is more or less excluded from participating in the understanding, research and discovering of our ancient past, and this has led to this huge expansion among the public of re-enactment groups. It is obviously a way for the public, being excluded from the professionals’ world, to experience their prehistory.

However, there are ways to meet the interest of the public in our ancient history, and I would like to finish with a presentation of a project carried out on the island of Gotland. The project is called Fröjel Discovery Programme, named after a parish with a Viking Age harbour along the West Coast of the island.

The Fröjel Discovery Programme that began in 1998 is a new type of culture-project, meaning a project with a comprehensive view on the concept of Culture Heritage. The project is intended to scientifically examine the Viking Age harbour at Fröjel, but also to make the history of the Vikings on Gotland life-like. The project is to a great extent a collaboration between local and regional organisations, businessmen, and the world of scientists.

The project intends to combine archaeological research with regional development, such that a scientific research project will be the base for an investment in the development and the knowledge about the Viking Age in the area, and to be an attraction in the district. The main aims of the project are to: 

* enlarge the knowledge of Viking Age trade on Gotland through archaeological excavation of the Viking Age harbour at Fröjel,

* give visitors a special experience during the excavation period, by having guided tours to the excavation site and different kinds of exhibits, but also by inviting the public to participate in the actual excavation,

* function as a resource for education at Gotland University College, as well as in other schools on the island,

* become links in the international interchange between the countries in Europe in the theme of archaeology and culture heritage, by inviting holders of scholarship to fieldwork.

In other words, the archaeological programme is an integrated part of the area's tourist industry. And the project is a collaboration between Gotland University College, the county museum, the County Administration Board and the gotlandic Municipality, as well as with representatives of local development groups at Fröjel.

Gotland archaeological field school

The excavation is carried out in the form of an international project, where we have participants from all over the world; from USA in the west to Australia in the east. Last summer, there were some 50 people engaged in the excavation, both professionals and amateurs. We have even let lay people come to take part in the excavation for a day, something that has been very popular and carried out by over 100 people.

The public and the tourists are able to follow the excavation by visiting an exhibition of the harbour in a nearby house, and to join one of the guided tours carried out every day. Most interesting is that we have many children visiting the excavation.

 Of course, we also use the modern way of informing the public about our excavation, by having weekly reports on the Internet throughout the excavation season. In this way, we are giving the public direct access to the progress of the excavation, even if one is sitting in front of one’s computer screen in Canada, Peru or Japan. We are also able to have direct discussions about the excavation and the results from our effort with people from all over the world.

Maybe there are some of you that wonder if it is at all possible to combine research, making history accessible to the public and regional development. As I see it, the answer is a definite yes. I would go that far to say that it is a necessity with these combinations and also that it is our responsibility as researchers to involve the public as far as possible into the research process.

Research can never be separated from the surrounding world, especially when it comes to archaeology and culture heritage, and I think we do have a moral obligation to make our prehistory accessible to the public. After all, many times it is the public who actually pays for the excavations. The time is gone when research of the historical development of an area was something for a small set of academics. Our cultural heritage belongs to us all.

There is much to be gained by inviting the public to participate in our scientific research in archaeology and prehistoric monuments, especially as a way to understand our common European heritage and to build a bridge between people and regions. And I can assure you, that the feeling of uncovering a picture stone from the Viking Age, with a very well preserved drawing of a ship with its sail, is something that will stay in your mind forever.

Photographs of boats and wagon: Museum of the Viking Age, Museum of cultural history.

Dan Carlsson. First expert responsible of the Viking Route of the Council of Europe. "Follow the Vikings" was published under the aegis of the Council of Europe. Website "Follow the Vikings". 

This text has been published in french language. "La preuve archéologique : de la recherche scientifique, à une conscience collective du patrimoine" in the chapter "Les traces". 

Maîtresse d'ouvrage de la publication : Claudia Constantinescu.  I hope that all the numerous free copies left in the Library of the European Institute of Cultural Routes have not been put in the garbage by the Directors in charge after I left in 2011.  

Routes project published in 1995.

Routes project published in 1995. This text has been published in french language. " La preuve archéologique : de la recherche scientifique, à une conscience collective du patrimoine" in the chapter "La citoyenneté". Maîtresse d'ouvrage de la publication : Claudia Constantinescu.  I hope that all the numerous free copies left in the Library of the European Institute of Cultural Routes have not been put in the garbage by the Directors in charge after I left in 2011.