The “archaeology” of sustainability in the approach to cultural heritage

Abstract

| In recent years, the incorporation of the sustainability discourse in the field of cultural heritage has marked the agenda of international organizations. However, the link between sustainability and heritage has progressed through different stages that reflect the evolution of both concepts, as being permeated by concerns about environment and economic and social development. Based on the analysis of the UNESCO and ICOMOS documents, six stages were identified between 1960 and the present day, culminating in the incorporation of culture and heritage into the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030. The application of new heritage management models suggested in the documents analyzed is, in practice, not easy to contrast. However, their implementation poses a real challenge to the heritage issue in terms of aligning with the SDGs.