Managing Archaeotopes: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Archaeological Sites Management in Spatial Planning

Abstract

The multifaceted historical development of a landscape typically represented by archaeological sites are often overlooked in spatial planning. In this article, Managing Archaeotopes was proposed as a new concept connecting archaeological research with spatial planning. The concept advocates that an interdisciplinary approach could help to build the “Archaeotopes” of archaeological sites, which brings together their archaeological, aesthetic, and ecological values in the landscape. The authors argue that the temporal dimension, i.e. landscape history, especially in terms of the remaining relics of historic development and events in the landscape today, and the dynamics of landscape changes should be treated as necessary information for spatial planning. Thus, knowledge should be acquired from relevant disciplines reflecting the timeline and dynamics of a landscape, such as Geology, Paleontology, Archaeology, Historical Geography, as well as other relevant sources and disciplines providing local characteristic information such as Biology and Onomastics. Knowledge from Sociology and Psychology would be needed when considering human requirement. At last, topics in the present and future were proposed in five aspects to facilitate Managing Archaeotopes, and emphasized the key role of the acceptance and realization of interdisciplinary work for a successful planning in the future.

Keywords

Spatial Planning / Temporal Dimension / Archaeological Site / Managing Archaeotopes / Interdisciplinary Knowledge

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2021 Higher Education Press