{"id":7004,"date":"2025-04-24T07:50:15","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T07:50:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/?page_id=7004"},"modified":"2025-04-25T02:47:16","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T02:47:16","slug":"t17-s09-papers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/t17-s09-papers\/","title":{"rendered":"T17\/S09: Culture Positive: Changing the Language of Global Cultural Heritage Management"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Format: Paper presentations with discussion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Convenors:\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luke Kirkwood, EMM Consulting Pty Ltd, Australia,\u00a0lkirkwood@emmconsulting.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Alan Williams, EMM Consulting Pty Ltd, Australia, awilliams@emmconsulting.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Following the destruction of Juukan Gorge, Australia has undertaken a wide-ranging review and reform process of our environmental and heritage legislation at a National level. This reform process has centred around the concept of Nature Positive \u2013 flipping the conversation of environmental management from one of offsets and mitigation to a framework focused on restoration, regeneration and recognition of the value of nature for society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using this framework as a foundation, we invite paper presentations that explore and expand upon the proposed concept of Culture Positive as a guiding approach for Cultural Heritage Management (CHM) worldwide. Traditionally focused on preservation and protection, CHM or CRM is increasingly called upon to make investment in archaeological heritage relevant to communities when the \u2018Cost of Living\u2019 crisis is forefront in people\u2019s minds. The Culture Positive framework therefore challenges practitioners to go beyond conservation, envisioning a world where archaeological heritage is treated less as a legislative hindrance and instead seen as a value investment opportunity for society generating social well-being, education opportunities and ensuring accessibility for present and future generations to understand their shared human histories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This session will share innovative case studies, research, and strategies demonstrating heritage enhancement across diverse contexts, from urban regeneration projects to Indigenous community-led initiatives. Topics will include community engagement, adaptive reuse, economic and social value creation through heritage stewardship, sustainable integration in urban and rural planning, and the role of education in fostering intergenerational knowledge transfer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through an exploration of global best practices, this session seeks to uncover the ways that heritage-positive approaches can foster cultural resilience, identity, and sustainable growth reflecting on the social and economic impacts of these efforts. By assembling a global perspective, this session aims to refine and advance the Culture Positive framework, providing actionable insights and tools for practitioners, policymakers, and communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Papers:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

From Nature Positive to Heritage Positive: Rethinking Outcomes in Cultural Heritage Management<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luke Kirkwood, EMM Consulting Pty Ltd, Australia<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This presentation explores the emerging concept of Heritage Positive as a transformative framework in Cultural Heritage Management (CHM), drawing inspiration from the global momentum behind the Nature Positive movement. As Nature Positive reframes environmental action toward regeneration and net gain, Heritage Positive similarly calls for proactive, future-focused engagement with cultural heritage\u2014moving beyond protection to enhancement, relevance, and revitalization. The paper reviews international standards and practices in CHM, highlighting how the Heritage Positive framework aligns with and extends global principles, including those established by UNESCO, ICOMOS, and the Sustainable Development Goals. It then focuses on recent developments in Australia, where environmental policy is increasingly embracing Nature Positive principles. The presentation explores how this policy shift opens opportunities for cultural heritage to be integrated into broader sustainability agendas, with examples from Indigenous-led heritage projects, adaptive reuse in urban planning, and heritage-informed climate resilience strategies. By bridging global and local perspectives, this presentation advocates for a Heritage Positive approach that repositions heritage as a driver of cultural continuity, social value, and sustainable development. Through standardisation of Heritage Positive practices within existing CHM frameworks, we aim to encourage and promote integrated, regenerative approaches that can be adopted as part of policy and regulation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Late Holocene Occupation and Colonial Frontier Violence in the New England Tableland, New South Wales, Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Georgia Burnett, Cameron Neal, Taylar Reid, Joel Mason, Alex Frolich, EMM Consulting Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia<\/em>
Trudy Doelman, Dept of Archaeology, University of Sydney, Australia<\/em>
Donny Fermor, Steve Talbott, Gomeroi Traditional Owners, NSW, Australia<\/em>
Warren Mayers, First Nation Project Engagement, Water Group, Dept of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Australia<\/em>
Alan N. Williams, EMM Consulting Pty Ltd, Sydney, Australia; ARC Centre of Excellence for Indigenous and Environmental Histories and Futures, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since the 1970s, limited archaeological investigation of the New England Tableland, a major geological upland in New South Wales (NSW), has resulted in only a general late Holocene model of occupation, with sparse consideration of post-colonial (after 1788CE) activities. Here, we present the results of a compliance-based archaeological excavation along the upper reaches of Dungowan Creek, 55 km southeast of Tamworth, which provides further insight into late Holocene regional human activity and explores the impacts of colonial contact\/invasion in the mid-19th century on Indigenous people. Investigations consisted of 216 m2 of discrete test pits extending some 4 km along the creek\u2019s edge, and two open area excavations (totalling 41 m2) focussing on key archaeological deposits. Some 3,490 stone artefacts were recovered from the upper ~50 cm of the soil profile, and which were deposited from ~5,500 years ago (5.5ka) into the mid-20th century, based on 20 optically stimulated luminescence ages. Activities consisted of a continued exploitation of regionally-rare raw materials (serpentine, jasper and high-quality chalcedony) sourced from cobbles in the creek bed, and used for a variety of tool production, hunting and wood-working activities, as well as regional trade. The peak of activity occurred prior to colonial contact\/invasion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At What Cost? Integrating Cultural Heritage into Wider Public Policy Using Wellbeing<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kate Clark, University of Canberra, Australia<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Events in the US show that an open, inclusive approach to cultural heritage is an opportunity for a democratic society but a threat to a totalitarian one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This paper argues for using \u2018wellbeing\u2019 to integrate heritage into wider public policy, but notes that the experience of \u2018sustainability\u2019 shows that we will fail unless we confront attitudes to heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The narrow view of heritage as a designation problem, grounded in European intellectual traditions of taste and distinction, is widespread. Instead, Indigenous thinkers offer a view of cultural heritage as everyday practices of care\/ing that shape our being in the world and our approach to economic, social and environmental relations. That open, inclusive approach to heritage can add value to wider environmental, social, and economic policy outcomes (which come together in concepts of \u2018wellbeing\u2019).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More importantly, there is a cost to ignoring cultural heritage: poorer environmental outcomes as we fail to decarbonise construction, poorer social outcomes as we ignore the cultural values and untold stories of others, poorer placemaking if we ignore the special qualities of what is there now, arts policy that ignores the past in creativity and, above all, an economic model that conflates values with interests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pakistan Buddhist Heritage: The Role of Interfaith Collaboration in Promoting Cultural Preservation and Global Harmony<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Numan Anwar, Field Supervisor, Directorate of Archaeology and Museums, Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In an era of escalating tensions and cultural fragmentation, fostering unity has become a pressing global imperative. This research paper explores the pivotal role of interfaith collaboration in promoting global harmony, with a specific focus on Muslim-majority nations’ efforts to preserve Buddhist heritage sites. By examining historical precedents, contemporary case studies, and philosophical commonalities between Islam and Buddhism, this study reveals the transformative potential of cultural preservation in bridging religious and cultural divides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Through a nuanced analysis of exemplary initiatives, such as Pakistan’s meticulous preservation of Gandhara civilisation artefacts and Indonesia’s efforts in maintaining Buddhist temples like Borobudur, this research demonstrates how collaborative heritage preservation can serve as a powerful catalyst for unity. The study also identifies challenges, including political instability and extremism, while highlighting opportunities for partnership and cooperation through platforms like WAC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ultimately, this research presents actionable recommendations for policymakers, advocating for the institutionalisation of heritage preservation and interfaith understanding as pathways to peace. By harnessing the unifying potential of cultural preservation, Muslim-majority nations can foster greater understanding, tolerance, and cooperation, contributing to a more harmonious and peaceful world.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Format: Paper presentations with discussion Convenors:\u00a0 Luke Kirkwood, EMM Consulting Pty Ltd, Australia,\u00a0lkirkwood@emmconsulting.com.au Dr Alan Williams, EMM Consulting Pty Ltd, Australia, awilliams@emmconsulting.com.au Following the destruction of Juukan Gorge, Australia has undertaken a wide-ranging review and reform process of our environmental and heritage legislation at a National level. This reform process has centred around the concept of Nature […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1157,"featured_media":276,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-7004","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"pmpro-has-access","7":"czr-hentry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1157"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7004"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7004\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7485,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/7004\/revisions\/7485"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}