Ethnoarchaeology: A conceptual and practical bridging of the intangible and tangible cultural heritage divide

Abstract

The concept of "intangible heritage" has become an element of mainstream academic discourse and international policy in recent decades. The concept can be criticized, however, for creating an artificial divide that undermines the mutuality of the "tangible" and "intangible" elements of everyday life. In particular, disaggregating "heritage" in this way reinforces an essentially dualistic view of the world that treats physical and mental phenomena as ontologically distinct categories. This paper reviews these arguments using case material drawn from an extended ethnoarchaeological study of the manner in which buildings and objects were mobilized among Dogon (Mali) communities in the 1980s to construct a "past." These data suggest that "the patina of history" is an important aspect of materiality, and understanding the mechanisms by which tangible things acquire this patina is central to comprehending how a society derives its core heritage values. In light of this, the paper concludes with a recommendation for closer integration of ethnoarchaeology in the teaching of heritage studies than is currently the case.