Museums and the Ancient Middle East: Curatorial Practice and Audiences ed. by Geoff Emberling and Lucas P. Petit (review)

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into development projects, looks back on post-World War II heritage management and the development of the heritage industry. She points out that today’s threats to cultural heritage are interconnected with larger global crises such as armed conflict, failing states, climate change, and migration that threaten human rights and human life. Fleming asks how those working in the field of heritage can possibly manage or protect cultural heritage in the face of such daunting global challenges. It is not difficult to discern a number of common themes that run throughout the volume: the importance of moving beyond a focus on material heritage to include intangible values and meanings; heritage as a human right, critical to the sustainability and resilience of societies; an acknowledgement that many of the rules, conventions, and guidelines developed to safeguard cultural heritage have been virtually ineffective; a commitment to critical self-reflection and accountability that asks questions such as “Manage, for whom?” and “Who benefits?” Add to these the potential role heritage can play in dealing with global disasters, and the challenge of integrating heritage protection with urban planning and economic development while accounting for diverse values and public benefits. Individually, none of these topics are new or groundbreaking, but considered together they start to elucidate a vision for heritage over the next decade. While the authors here bring a good deal of experience to the task of filling out this vision, many more illustrations of heritage applications in practice will be needed, precisely because of the changing nature of the work. For example, in the context of multinational corporations, what actually happens when archaeologists work for Rio Tinto or the World Bank? Whom do they truly end up acting as advocates, or apologists, for? Critical reflection on both successes and failures, especially when human rights and lifeways are in the balance, will be essential. The volume is also encumbered by an imbalance of discussion about international agencies, projects, and conventions that operate at very large scales, with only a few authors referencing the efforts of indigenous groups, municipal councils, community organizations, and the like. Without these other scales equitably represented, heritage work remains a top-down enterprise of outside experts. This hits home in other ways. Though the need to include more stakeholders and local voices is a cry that resounds throughout the volume, the voices here are almost exclusively those of “heritage experts.” Where are the voices of community members, who seek creative ways to protect and nurture the heritage that sustains them? Overall, and collectively, the authors accomplish the daunting task of calling attention to innovative and meaningful applications of cultural heritage that will become increasingly significant in coming decades. Perhaps another workshop will convene, a decade down the road, to assess where things stand. Hopefully that gathering will have a broader group of “heritage experts” at the table.