Transformative journeys

When

21 October 2022

What

The paper Transformative journeys: exploring the significance of scapes in archaeology-based interventions on wellbeing explores the significance of scapes in the theoretical conceptualisation of these interventions and reflects upon their short and long-term outcomes on participants and communities.

In the cases when the focus of interventions is centred on a scape, the results are very promising for the design of more meaningful activities for the participants and for the triggering of new topics of discussion. However, no enough work has been done so far on applying some of the strengths of scapes to the activities and further research is needed.

Where

TAG Chicago. Archaeology of Transformation: Changing Scapes [online]

Why

This is the first paper developed entirely as an output of the LOGGIA project. Participation in this conference has been pivotal in getting feedback on the research done on scapes from archaeologists working with landscapes on daily basis.

Specifics

In recent years, community archaeology projects have explored how engagement with the past can enhance individual wellbeing and foster happiness, socialisation and self-esteem in vulnerable groups such as mental health users and veterans. Being the scenario of activities like digging, walking, photography, the historic landscape is at the core of archaeology-based interventions focusing on wellbeing. These activities often revolve around tangible and intangible aspects of the landscape – for example monuments and memories – calling into question different scapes.
To which extent can scapes provide a valid framework to understand archaeology-based interventions focusing on wellbeing? This paper wants to explore the significance of scapes in the theoretical conceptualisation of these interventions and reflect upon their short and long-term outcomes on participants and communities. Through qualitative methods, the study will analyse the extant literature on archaeology and wellbeing, coding any reference to scapes and other main themes in landscape studies. This analysis will offer some food for thought on how critically approaching scapes can inform the discussion on community wellbeing, being also the main topic of the project ‘Linking community archaeology and wellbeing in the Mediterranean’ (LOGGIA). Funded by the European Union as Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellowship, LOGGIA aims to understand the contribution of community archaeology practice to community wellbeing in the Mediterranean, by focusing on the inclusion of vulnerable groups.

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