Site-Specific Performances in Archaeological Sites in Greece: A Cultural Product in the Service of the Celebration of Archaeological Landscapes (20 min)

Presenters

Anastasia Gadolou, Department of Prehistoric and Classical Archaeological Sites, Monuments and Archaeological Works

Abstract

The recognition of the role of culture and its contribution to sustainable development through cultural heritage, the creative industries, local culture and products, creativity and innovation, local communities, local materials, community participation, and cultural diversity creates a strong framework in which many touristic products could be implemented.

An archaeological site is a multidimensional milieu, the many assets of which could lead to the creation of well-defined niches in the leisure market in combination with the education of society. Its landscape and its monuments reflect the environmental, socioeconomic, and political history of one or more chronological periods of the past, and combine reality (preserved monuments) with nonreality (cultural and historical values). Every site has its own biography, the tangible and intangible characteristics of which can become source for unlimited inspiration toward the formation of unique and innovative creative cultural products, which along with knowledge can contribute to the preservation of the history of the site and the cognitive prosperity of the community.

Site-specific performances (SSP) have long been used and studied as unique creative cultural products, though quite a number of scientific articles have been published concerning their identification. This kind of creative performance combines multiple tools of expression, activates different levels of perception, explores seen and unseen realms of reality in coexistence with an archeological site or a monument.

The basic aim of the present paper is to present a framework, that after evaluation, would possibly be used for the rise of the number of visitors to not-very-popular archaeological sites in Greece. Its use could be further extended for designing creative cultural products, the consumption and circulation of which will lead to the production of differentiated types of tourism, such as archaeological tourism. The archaeological sites of Delos, Zakros, and the archaeological site of Kabeirion in Lemnos will be used as case studies, as in these three sites SSP have been presented, the two of them within the program “All of Greece, One Culture.”