VIRTUAL: Prague Heritages

Abstract

Scientific and economic pressures put on living landscapes, especially the archaeological sites which are constantly occupied, restrict daily activities. These disruptions in daily life can result in diminishing locals` place attachment that eventually causes migration. Therefore, living landscapes voluntarily move towards fossil ones and turn into a state of conservation frozen in a specific time. This study explores how understanding local stories that are embedded in these archaeological sites can impact place attachment. By examining the involvement of locals in these sites through storytelling, we aim to analyze in what ways the interaction formed among local people and visitors can influence their place attachment. To achieve this, we will focus on Stratonikeia and Lagina, an archaeological site located on the eastern coast of Turkey and continually occupied since the Bronze age. By using storytelling as the main methodology, we aim to design an exhibition within the archaeological site that will quantitatively evaluate the changes in the perceptions of locals and visitors before and after visitation. At the end of our research, the outcome will indicate the results on how storytelling can be used for understanding the memoryscapes in living archaeological sites and its influence on people`s perception. In this way, more dynamic methods of collaboration with stakeholders, especially locals, can be developed which is considered a key factor in sustainable conservation.