Before looking into the detail of public engagement, it is worth considering the bigger-picture themes and concepts which archaeology can contribute to. These go from more well-known concepts in terms of archaeology as knowledge, through to areas which are less traditionally associated with our work, like wellbeing and inclusion.
For a long time, contribution to knowledge was seen as the primary public benefit of archaeology. Increasingly, our sector is challenging the idea that this goes far enough, and work in recent projects suggests we should realign our thinking towards social value and move beyond contribution to knowledge. National and international policies and conventions can support this, and there is an expectation that citizens will actively engage with cultural heritage, and that this may also empower marginalised groups.
The survey undertaken to inform this toolkit suggests that many archaeologists acknowledge that greater social value can be achieved in archaeological projects (see Infosheet 1 - What do archaeologists think about public engagement?); public engagement generates benefits such as improved wellbeing, placemaking and inclusion. Detailed evaluation of projects that measure outcomes for people and communities will be important to help drive and support this change in our sector.
Archaeology and knowledge
Archaeology delivers public benefit from ‘contribution to knowledge’, meaning that through the work we do, the public benefits from a better understanding of our shared past. Consultation has shown that archaeologists believe that the sector needs to do more than just contribute to knowledge, and that public benefit should go further than simply excavating and depositing a report and archive with the local HER. Increasingly, those within the sector are calling to expand this definition of public benefit, and to ensure archaeology delivers benefit for individuals, as well as the general public.
A growing number of studies are showing that archaeology can drive an increased sense of community identity, promote wellbeing and improve outcomes for health, wealth and education through enabling the acquisition of new skills, being amongst likeminded people and connecting with the landscape and the past.
There is a comprehensive section on public benefit on CIfA’s website, with a host of resources and case studies that can be used for training and development.
Further reading
- About this theme:
- The Public Benefits of Archaeology According to the Public: Article
- ALGAO – Delivery of Public Benefit and Social Value for Archaeology in the Planning Process: Guidance document
- CIfA – Delivering public benefit from archaeology: Webpage
- Project examples:
- Studies:
Archaeology and place
Placemaking is a term that is used with increasing frequency in discussions around archaeology, heritage, and culture. Placemaking provides a useful concept to describe how archaeology can contribute to the development of contemporary places and can be a useful way to signpost how archaeology can create social value.
In their guidance for placemaking and design, Historic England uses the following definition:
[Placemaking] brings together diverse people (including professionals, elected officials, local groups, residents, and businesses) to improve a community’s cultural, economic, social and environmental situation. It’s often best achieved through a clear understanding of the historic significance of the existing place.
It’s notable that the guidance stresses that placemaking ‘is best achieved through a clear understanding of the historic significance of the existing place’. Archaeology can provide a direct method for improving the understanding of the historic significance of a particular place. When an audience is engaged with archaeological projects in their area, they can play an active part in discovering the history of the site or place, contributing to wider knowledge, understanding and appreciation of their place. This results in public benefit achieved through the archaeological work.
This gained knowledge can empower the community to take ownership of heritage assets in their locality, or at the very least understand the value of those places. Project participants may take stewardship of heritage assets as a result, creating social value outcomes with potential for economic impacts and helping manage the historic environment by reporting damage or need for repair.
Further reading
- About this theme:
- Historic England – placemaking and design: Webpage
- RSA – networked heritage: Press release
- Project examples:
- Our Place – Bristol City Council: Project report (PDF)
- Skye Ecomuseum – Staffin Community Trust: Website
- Enhancing a sense of place and time – Foundations Archaeology/: Article (PDF)
Archaeology and wellbeing
Wellbeing, defined as a positive physical, mental and emotional state, is another outcome that can be achieved through archaeology, heritage, and culture activities. A review undertaken in 2019 by What Works Wellbeing, a UK-based independent body, concluded that historic places and assets, and interventions associated with them, can have a wide range of beneficial impacts on the physical, mental and social wellbeing of individuals and communities (see ‘Further reading’ below). The review highlighted several examples but also recommended the sector develop a shared and evidence-based conceptual framework for wellbeing across the heritage sector, and a coordinated methodology for evaluation. Historic England have also developed a Heritage and Wellbeing Strategy.
What is clear is that archaeology presents an opportunity for people to forge connections with likeminded people, to get hands-on with the past generally as well as with the heritage of a particular place, and to get outdoors. All of these opportunities can be mechanisms by which peoples’ wellbeing can be improved, which can contribute to the social value outcomes of a project.
Further reading
- About this theme:
- English Heritage, wellbeing and the Historic Environment: Assessment Report
- What Works Wellbeing: Heritage and wellbeing: Project briefing
- Public benefit as community wellbeing in archaeology: Research paper
- Archaeology as Therapy: Article (PDF)
- ‘I now look forward to the future, by finding things from our past’: Article (PDF)
- Heritage and social prescribing in action: Good practice guidance
- Project examples:
- Well-City Salisbury project: Project webpage
- Operation Nightingale: Article
- Historic England: Strategy document
Archaeology and inclusion
Archaeology can be a way to talk to people, invite people in and break down barriers, but the heritage sector has traditionally struggled to diversify its audiences. This is perhaps not particularly surprising, considering that our profession is not representative of wider society; most employed archaeologists are aged between 36 and 40, women occupy fewer senior positions within the sector than their male counterparts, and socio-economic and ethnic diversity is extremely limited (see Profiling the Profession).
Increasingly, the sector is becoming aware of the need to diversify audiences, to be inclusive of a much wider variety of voices, and improve access for those who are underrepresented or who have been traditionally excluded or disenfranchised from our industry.
There can be organisational benefits from implementing cultural change to address access and inclusion, with better staff retention and more positive experiences of the workplace. It also contributes to greater resilience of the archaeology sector by having a more diverse support base.
Further reading
- About this theme:
- Invitation to the Party: Building Bridges to the Arts, Culture and Community, by Donna Walker-Kuhne – a handbook to attract and involve audiences of colour for arts and cultural institutions: Handbook
- Project examples:
- ‘Not For The Likes of You’, by Morton Smyth, looks at becoming accessible through positioning and message: Project report (PDF) and Training video
- Learning with Grandad – engaging young local people with museum collections: Project website
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Scottish Heritage (EDISH) programme: Blog post and work placements
- Examples from the National Archives: Project web page
The Historic Environment Record, or HER, is a dynamic database that contains information about the historic environment, including archaeological sites, monuments, and buildings of historical importance. HERs are information services that provide access to comprehensive resources relating to the historic environment of a defined geographic area.
Historic England define placemaking as something that: brings together diverse people (including professionals, elected officials, local groups, residents, and businesses) to improve a community’s cultural, economic, social and environmental situation. It’s often best achieved through a clear understanding of the historic significance of the existing place.
Wellbeing refers to the state of being comfortable, healthy, and content, both physically and mentally. It encompasses various aspects of an individual's life, including their physical health, emotional and mental state, social relationships, and overall quality of life.
