Folklore and Public Archaeology in the UK

Abstract

This paper presents the potential for folklore to enrich studies of, and participation in, public archaeology. Referring to the varied approaches to public archaeology in the United Kingdom, and focusing on sites and landscapes, it will lay out the current status of folklore in five key areas of public archaeology: the history of archaeology, multivocality, historical consciousness, the archaeological imagination/representation, and heritage management. This paper will explore how key thoughts and approaches in folkloristics might not only contribute to these areas, but can radically enhance how we look at public archaeology historically, dialogically, and interpretively. Alongside this, those countries with well-developed folkloristic and ethnological research departments might consider ways of expanding their approaches to public archaeology, and engage in cross-disciplinary research investigating the complex and multi-faceted relationships with and representations of the past in the present.