When a local legend is (mis)appropriated in the interpretation of an archaeological site

Context permitting, should public archaeologists allow ‘‘archaeologically incorrect’’ accounts of the past? In this paper I discuss this question through a case study based on the experience of myself and my colleagues at the excavation of the Villa of Augustus in Somma Vesuviana, Italy. In 2003 and 2004, we became aware that some visitors to the excavation interpreted the site by reference to a legend of the tunnel of Queen Giovanna, which had existed in Somma Vesuviana over the centuries. Although initially interested in this phenomenon, we soon realised that we needed to make certain judgements as to how to respond to local people asking whether the tunnel had been discovered in the excavation. We presented two different ways of interpreting the site, one based on archaeology and the other on the legend, and both as equally meaningful, while at the same time stressing what we as archaeologists believed, based on what we had found. In this process we decided to adhere to the principles of archaeology, even in embracing the multivocality of material remains

‘All Museums Will Become Department Stores’: The Development and Implications of Retailing at Museums and Heritage Sites

Museums and heritage sites have provided merchandise for visitors to purchase since their earliest incarnations as public attractions in the 18th century. Despite this longevity scant academic research has been directed towards such activities. However, retailing - formalised in the emergence of the museum shop - offers insights into a range of issues, from cultural representation and education, to economic sustainability. This paper outlines the historical development of retailing at museums and heritage sites in the UK, before offering a summary of current issues, illustrated by a case study of contemporary retailing at Whitby Abbey. The paper demonstrates how commercial spaces have made, and continue to make, important contributions to visitors' cultural experiences and aims to frame this topic as a legitimate field of academic enquiry

"Sorting stones": monuments, memory and resistance in the Scottish Highlands

First paragraph:  Alan: Well after we sort the stone we'll sort that one.  Duncan: Aye, we’ll sort our stone and then we’ll sort that stone.  These enigmatic yet forceful statements are taken from an interview carried out in 2001 with two men in their mid 40s and 30s respectively. Both live in Hilton of Cadboll, a small village on the seaboard of Easter Ross in north-east Scotland. This was my first interview in Hilton and I was nervous about how effective I would be. Rightly so, it turned out. My main aim was to explore the meanings and values attached to the celebrated Hilton of Cadboll cross-slab. 2 Yet Alan and Duncan were primarily concerned with its future destiny, which triggered heated discussion of a variety of seemingly unrelated issues and injustices. I struggled to structure the interview with little success, and at one point Alan interjected with his uncompromising statement about sorting stones, vehemently reinforced by Duncan. Admittedly a few drinks had been consumed during the course of the evening interview. Nevertheless, the anger which simmered underneath was unsettling and I was confused by the connections they seemed to be makin