Preserving Heritage is Good Local Business: Saving Sites with Economic Development
358 views · Published 6 February 2014 · 50:39 · Indexed 27 September 2026
Channel: Penn Museum · 2014 · Education
Archaeological research and preservation have traditionally brought few economic benefits to the local communities in which sites are located. And to the extent such benefits existed, they lasted only as long as a particular project or program was ongoing. As a result, communities have utilized their sites in ways that are economically superior, including looting, agriculture, and home building. In this talk, Dr. Lawrence S. Coben, Executive Director, Sustainable Preservation Initiative, argues that only through locally controlled and sustainable economic development can this process be reversed, and that only through providing an alternative to destructive uses can we save much of the world's cultural patrimony. Sponsored by the Penn Cultural Heritage Center.
