Multiple historicities on the island of Crete : the significance of Minoan archaeological heritage in everyday life
This thesis seeks to investigate the manifold ways people, as members of different groups, understand, narrate and relate to the prehistoric past of the island of Crete, i.e., what is usually referred to as ~Minoan heritage~. It explores the various contexts in which Knossos, the best-known and most popular Minoan site in Crete, is ~historicised~ through experience and perception both inside and outside the boundaries of the site. The research focuses on the ways academic knowledge concerning the archaeological heritage is embedded in social practices. Its aim is to understand ancient Cretan monuments and museum exhibits as active producers of meanings affecting and being affected by current social relations. For this purpose, social anthropology and material culture studies in particular lent me the theoretical and methodological tools to bring archaeology, museums and people into the same field of inquiry. The making of a contested monumental landscape around the archaeological site of Knossos, the appropriation and conceptualisation of Minoan Crete through its official representations, the quest for authenticity during the tourist experience, the performance of local identity in relation to the archaeological
Soloman, Esther
Multiple historicities on the island of Crete : the significance of Minoan archaeological heritage in everyday life. This thesis seeks to investigate the manifold ways people, as members of different groups, understand, narrate and relate to the prehistoric past of the island of Crete, i.e., what is usually referred to as ~Minoan heritage~. It explores the various contexts in which Knossos, the best-known and most popular Minoan site in Crete, is ~historicised~ through experience and perception both inside and outside the boundaries of the site. The research focuses on the ways academic knowledge concerning the archaeological heritage is embedded in social practices. Its aim is to understand ancient Cretan monuments and museum exhibits as active producers of meanings affecting and being affected by current social relations. For this purpose, social anthropology and material culture studies in particular lent me the theoretical and methodological tools to bring archaeology, museums and people into the same field of inquiry. The making of a contested monumental landscape around the archaeological site of Knossos, the appropriation and conceptualisation of Minoan Crete through its official representations, the quest for authenticity during the tourist experience, the performance of local identity in relation to the archaeological
multiple island crete significance minoan archaeological_heritage everyday_life seek investigate manifold way_people member different_group narrate relate prehistoric past island crete usually refer minoan heritage explores_various contexts knossos best known popular minoan site crete experience perception inside_outside boundary site focus way academic knowledge concern archaeological_heritage embed social_practice aim ancient cretan monument museum exhibit active producer meaning affect affected current social_relation purpose social_anthropology material_culture study particular theoretical_methodological tool bring archaeology museums people field inquiry make contested monumental landscape around archaeological_site knossos appropriation conceptualisation minoan_crete official representation quest authenticity tourist experience performance local_identity relation archaeological