Research frameworks for World Heritage Sites and the conceptualization of archaeological knowledge

Abstract

Research has a central place in the identification and definition of World Heritage Sites, and increasingly in their ongoing management and conservation. Using the example of Stonehenge in central southern England, attention is drawn to the formulation of a research framework as a means of providing a transparent and structured approach to the planning and execution of high quality research. Ultimately, however, research has to be useful and socially relevant in terms of the outputs produced. In the second part of the paper some of the wider issues of knowledge creation are explored and a scheme proposed for the conceptualization of archaeological knowledge or scientia as four overlapping fields: narrative knowledge, strategic knowledge, indigenous knowledge and contemplative knowledge. It is suggested that World Heritage Sites should not only be exemplary situations for the pursuit of research but also be closely identified with the creation and maintenance of different kinds of knowledge.

Keywords:

• Research
• research agenda
• research framework
• Stonehenge
• World Heritage Site
• knowledge building
• epistemology
• archaeological theory

Acknowledgements

The research and development of a Research Framework for the Stonehenge part of the Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites WHS was funded by English Heritage, and in preparing this paper based upon that work I would especially like to thank Geoff Wainwright, David Miles, Dave Batchelor, Adrian Olivier and Amanda Chadburn for their support and assistance. Ehren Milner and Vanessa Constant provided research support at Bournemouth. Thanks are also extended to Gabriel Cooney for information on current work in Ireland and the two anonymous referees for their helpful comments.

Notes

1 As well as the Stonehenge Research Framework discussed in detail in this paper (and see Darvill 2005), research policies are also available for the Heart of Orkney World Heritage Site (Downes et al. 2005) and work has begun on preparing one for Hadrian's Wall.

2 The term scientia was used by Philip Esler, Chief Executive of the UK's Arts and Humanities Research Council, during an interview reported in The Guardian newspaper (18 October 2005, p. 11) as a way of bridging traditional divisions between the arts/humanities and the sciences, an aim that seems equally relevant in an archaeological context.