Contextual Sustainability in Heritage Practice: Urbanization, Neighbourliness, and Community Dialogue in Akçalar, Turkey

Abstract

“Sustainability” is a multifaceted concept, but archaeologists generally focus efforts on the sustainability of the site itself. This paper argues that we should instead actively engage with locals to approach sustainability more broadly in a multidimensional, participatory way. The ethnographic research described here thus examines the community’s vision for a sustainable future via participant observation and interviews conducted with over 70 residents in Akçalar, Bursa, Turkey, the local context of Neolithic-Chalcolithic Aktopraklık Höyük. Results indicate that rapid urbanization and industrialization have heightened locals’ awareness of the loss of traditional lifeways and values, such as agricultural practices. Many also lament the concurrent decline of neighbourliness and community cohesion. Moreover, participants noted the previous lack of adequate dialogue between archaeologists and community residents. With this robust foundation of community perspectives, we can now move forward in practice with new locally focused programs at the Aktopraklık open-air museum and in town, including displays of family heirlooms and educational workshops. Though community understandings and goals for sustainability may not exactly match those of archaeologists, by fully understanding the whole picture, this paper aims to demonstrate how heritage practitioners can better synergize their approaches to sustainability with the local fabric to yield greater benefits for all.