Archaeological heritage and social development: perspectives in Portugal and Brazil

Abstract

In this article I intend to discuss two experiments on the heritage and cultural units of archeology, coordinated by researchers affiliated with the Center for Archaeological Studies at the Universities of Coimbra and Porto/CEAUCP, namely Mértola Village Museum - which celebrates 30 years of existence in the region of Alentejo and the Foundation Casa Grande - at Nova Olinda, in the Cariri, Ceará. Both left the research and cultural units of the archaeological heritage and followed a process of social development in those regions - and led by non-governmental organizations - with limited development opportunities for local communities. I seek to identify the actors and social groups involved in both processes, and to characterize the nature of that relationship and the reception and appropriation of this heritage by local communities. Key words: archaeological heritage. Heritage process. Musealization