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Ancient sites: Protect or Use?
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Re: Ancient sites: Protect or Use?
Jun 27, 2007, 09:57
slumpystones wrote:

People are more likely to want to visit somewhere that doesn't bear markers or labels placed by someone else. The feeling of alienation when arriving at a site that bears marks of ownership is disturbing, making you feel as if you are trespassing on someone else's sacred ground.

I'd humbly beg to differ. For many people, I think such things increase the exotic appeal of a site, even adding character. Projecting one's personal reaction onto others is always a mistake. Without objective, empirical evidence, any statement about the exact division of reaction can only be speculative.

slumpystones wrote:
Surely the idea is to encourage people to visit, feel welcome, and to generate a common feeling of wellbeing and care for the site itself, rather than an uncomfortable visit.

Absolutely. But your idea of "wellbeing" may differ from someone else's. Again, I'm not saying that you're essentially wrong... just that it would be productive to appreciate that other people can have different ways of viewing the situation whilst still acting with personal integrity. Connecting with such people and trying to understand them and engage them in dialogue will achieve far more than rigid opposition.
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