Cover not available

Article published In: Strategic Communication: Beyond nation cultural adaption, images and identity
Edited by Hassan Abu Bakar and Bahtiar Bin Mohamad
[Journal of Asian Pacific Communication 28:1] 2018
► pp. 151–171

Get fulltext from our e-platform
JBE logo with link
PDF logo with download linkDownload PDF
authorization required

Communicating archaeological heritage

Strategically connecting the past to the present from community perspectives

 | Universiti Sains Malaysia
 | Universiti Sains Malaysia
 | Universiti Sains Malaysia
Published online: 19 January 2018
DOI logo with link
https://doi.org/10.1075/japc.00008.noo
Abstract
Existing archaeological heritage communication focuses on educating the public by emphasising scientific knowledge from the perspectives of experts (e.g. archaeologists), often sidelining the perspectives of the local community. Nevertheless, the local community’s perspective is equally important in providing humanistic insights and in connecting the past to the present context. This research explores how local communities make meaning of and relate heritage to their social identity. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 purposely-sampled representatives from various local community groups in Lenggong Valley, Malaysia; including village heads, village elders and individuals from various social and cultural backgrounds. The findings provide interesting insights into how the local community defines and connects to heritage. Importantly, this study highlights multilayered dimensions of archaeological heritage that are intricately connected to contemporary society. Incorporating these wider dimensions into archaeological heritage communication will result in communication that is more socially, culturally and psychologically relevant, thus engendering greater interest and appreciation.
Article outline
  • Understanding and communicating heritage
  • Understanding the past in the present
  • Linking heritage to the site
  • Social identity and heritage interpretations
  • Background of the lenggong valley world heritage site
  • Method
  • Findings
    • The meaning of heritage
    • Connecting the past with the present
    • The significance of the site
    • Heritage as part of the social identity
  • Conclusion and implications
  • Acknowledgements
  • References
References (37)
References
Agbe & Davies, A. S. (2010). Concepts of community in the pursuit of an inclusive archaeology. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 16(6), 373–389. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Ahmad, Y. (2006). The scope and definitions of heritage: from tangible to intangible. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 12(3), 292–300. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Beale, N. (2012). How community archaeology can make use of open data to achieve further its objectives. World Archaeology, 44(4), 612–633. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Brighton, S. (2011). Applied archaeology and community collaboration: uncovering the past and empowering the present. Human Organization, 70(4), 344–354. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Connell, D. (1997). Participatory development. Development in Practice, 7(3), 248–259. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Dudley, S. H. (Ed.). (2010). Museum materialities: objects, engagements, interpretations. London, England: Routledge.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Dzulkifli, A. R., Ramli, M., Bahiyah, O., Hock, C. M., & Md Noor, S. (2011). Transforming higher education for a sustainable tomorrow: 2010 laying the foundation. Penang, Malaysia: Penerbit USM.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Grimwade, G., & Carter, B. (2000). Managing small heritage sites with interpretation and community involvement. International Journal of Heritage Studies, 6(1), 33–48. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Holmes, K. M., & O’Loughlin, N. (2014). The experiences of people with learning disabilities on social networking sites. British Journal of Learning Disabilities, 42(1), 1–5. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Holtorf, C. (2007). Can you hear me at the back? Archaeology, communication and society. European Journal of Archaeology, 10(2–3), 149–165. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(2010). Meta-stories of archaeology. World Archaeology, 42(3), 381–393. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Holtorf, C., & Fairclough, G. (2013). The new heritage and re-shapings of the past. In A. González-Ruibal (Ed.), Reclaiming archaeology: beyond the tropes of modernity. (pp. 197–210). Hoboken, NJ: Taylor and Francis. Retrieved from [URL]
Interpretation Australia. (2017). [URL] Retrieved October 5, 2017, from [URL]
Jaafar, M., Md Noor, S., & Rasoolimanesh, S. M. (2014). Awareness and willingness for engagement of youth on World Heritage Site: a study on Lenggong archaeological site. Asian Social Science, 10(22). Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kelly, R. L., & Thomas, D. H. (2012). Archaeology: down to earth (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Kirshenblatt-Gimblett, B. (1995). Theorizing heritage. Ethnomusicology, 39(3), 367. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(1998). Destination culture: tourism, museums, and heritage. Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Marshall, Y. (2002). What is community archaeology? World Archaeology, 34(2), 211–219. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Mohd-Isa, A. F., Zainal-Abidin, Z., & Hashim, A.. (2011). Built heritage maintenance: a Malaysian perspectives. Procedia Engineering, 201, 213–221. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Moscardo, G. (1996). Mindful visitors. Annals of Tourism Research, 23(2), 376–397. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
O’Reilly, D. (2005). Cultural brands/branding cultures. Journal of Marketing Management, 21(5–6), 573–588. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Portal Rasmi Majlis Daerah Lenggong. (2015, October 23). Latar Belakang. Retrieved October 5, 2017, from [URL]
Rasoolimanesh, S. M., & Jaafar, M. (2017). Sustainable tourism development and residents’ perceptions in World Heritage Site destinations. Asia Pacific Journal of Tourism Research, 22(1), 34–48. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Rasoolimanesh, S. M., Jaafar, M., Kock, N., & Ramayah, T. (2015). A revised framework of social exchange theory to investigate the factors influencing residents’ perceptions. Tourism Management Perspectives, 161, 335–345. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Richardson, L. -J., & Almansa-Sánchez, J. (2015). Do you even know what public archaeology is? Trends, theory, practice, ethics. World Archaeology, 47(2), 194–211. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Smith, E. R. (2014). Social identity and social emotions: toward new concepitualizations of prejudice. In D. M. Mackie & D. L. Hamilton (Eds.), Affect, cognition, and stereotyping: interactive processes in group perception (pp. 297–314). Cambridge, MA: Academic Press. Retrieved from [URL]
Smith, L. (2006). Uses of heritage. London, England: Routledge. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tajfel, H. (1974). Social identity and intergroup behaviour. Social Science Information, 13(2), 65–93. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(Ed.). (1978). Differentiation between social groups: studies in the social psychology of intergroup relations. London, England: Academic Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
(Ed.). (2010). Social identity and intergroup relations. Cambridge, England: Cambridge Univiversity Press.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tajfel, H., & Turner, J. (1979). An intergrative theory of intergroup conflict. In W. G. Austin & S. Worchel (Eds.), The social psychology of intergroup relations (pp. 33–47). Monterey, CA: Brooks Cole.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tse, H. H. M., & Chiu, W. C. K. (2014). Transformational leadership and job performance: a social identity perspective. Journal of Business Research, 67(1), 2827–2835. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Tully, G. (2007). Community archaeology: general methods and standards of practice. Public Archaeology, 6(3), 155–187. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Turner, J. C., Hogg, M. A., Oakes, P. J., Reicher, S. D., & Wetherell, M. S. (1987). Rediscovering the social group: self-categorization theory. Cambridge, MA: Basil Blackwell.Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
UNESCO World Heritage Centre. (2017). Archaeological Heritage of the Lenggong Valley. Retrieved October 5, 2017, from [URL]
Vecco, M. (2010). A definition of cultural heritage: from the tangible to the intangible. Journal of Cultural Heritage, 11(3), 321–324. Google Scholar logo with link to Google Scholar
Cited by (2)

Cited by two other publications

Hu, Jia & Shuhaida Md Noor
2024. Knowledge, attitudes and practices of intangible cultural heritage among youth in Sichuan, China: a cross-sectional study. Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development DOI logo
Grima, Reuben
2021. Underground Environments, Worldviews, and Sustainable Stewardship. Sustainability 13:22 ► pp. 12837 ff. DOI logo

This list is based on CrossRef data as of 12 november 2025. Please note that it may not be complete. Sources presented here have been supplied by the respective publishers. Any errors therein should be reported to them.

Mobile Menu Logo with link to supplementary files background Layer 1 prag Twitter_Logo_Blue