SOCIAL [CRITICAL] CONSERVATION IN ARCHAEOLOGY

Abstract

This text aims to generate new dialogues between the current social critique of heritage and what we describe as ‘social conservation’, focusing our reflection on the archaeological field. We will attempt to draw a reflective bridge between the social trends of public and community archaeology and conservation. We will explore the changes that have occurred in the theoretical framework of heritage management and values in recent years, together with their projection in the conservation of archaeological cultural assets. We will analyze the debate generated around conservation, values, and obsolescence, advancing a conservation proposal that contributes to the [de]reification and de-elitization of heritage. Lastly, we will offer some final reflections that outline the future role of conservation in the archaeology of contemporaneity.