From theatre to labyrinth : in pursuit of critical engagement with archaeological heritage
In western cultural institutions, meaningful interaction with remains of the past is predominantly discussed as engagement with heritage. The complex metaphor helps us conceptualise the abstract notion of interaction as engagement, an obligation or a state of captivity, and remains of the past as heritage, a series of possessions transferred from time-past to present. The thesis takes a cognitive linguistics approach to examine both primary and complex spatial metaphors that support western conceptualisations of interaction with past remains. It also employs the means of cognitive ethnography to examine their effects on two ecologies of engagement: (i) a storytelling and object handling workshop hosted in the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, and (ii) a workshop of archaeological practices held in the moorlands of Caithness. The passage from public to professional ecologies serves the identification of those spatial metaphors, conditions and practices that can support critical engagement with archaeological heritage. In the thesis, I suggest that, in western tradition, time-past is predominantly conceptualised as a constraining space, and interaction with its remains as a form of captivity: of containment
Ntzani, Dimitra
engagement with heritage ; engagement ; heritage ; metaphor ; theatre ; labyrinth
From theatre to labyrinth : in pursuit of critical engagement with archaeological heritage. In western cultural institutions, meaningful interaction with remains of the past is predominantly discussed as engagement with heritage. The complex metaphor helps us conceptualise the abstract notion of interaction as engagement, an obligation or a state of captivity, and remains of the past as heritage, a series of possessions transferred from time-past to present. The thesis takes a cognitive linguistics approach to examine both primary and complex spatial metaphors that support western conceptualisations of interaction with past remains. It also employs the means of cognitive ethnography to examine their effects on two ecologies of engagement: (i) a storytelling and object handling workshop hosted in the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery, and (ii) a workshop of archaeological practices held in the moorlands of Caithness. The passage from public to professional ecologies serves the identification of those spatial metaphors, conditions and practices that can support critical engagement with archaeological heritage. In the thesis, I suggest that, in western tradition, time-past is predominantly conceptualised as a constraining space, and interaction with its remains as a form of captivity: of containment
theatre pursuit critical_engagement archaeological_heritage western cultural_institution meaningful interaction remain past predominantly discuss engagement heritage complex metaphor help conceptualise abstract notion interaction engagement obligation state remain past heritage series possession transfer time past_present take cognitive_linguistics examine primary complex spatial_metaphor support western conceptualisation interaction past remains also_employ mean cognitive ethnography examine_effect ecology engagement storytelling object handle workshop host museum art_gallery workshop archaeological_practice hold caithness passage public professional ecology serve identification spatial_metaphor condition practice support critical_engagement archaeological_heritage suggest western_tradition time past predominantly conceptualise constrain space interaction remain form containment