Healing through heritage in times of crisis: archaeology and contemporary communities in Greece.

Periods of crisis expose unreconciled elements of nationalism, identity, and cultural heritage which may contribute to increased social tension. This is true for many countries, but it is particularly noticeable in Greece, where national identity and politics are intertwined with its Classical past because, Hamilakis (2007) argues, the state promotes a static contemporary identity based on a perceived continuity with Classical culture. This conception of cultures as static entities is defined by Högberg (2016) as essentialism. The student's working hypothesis is that an essentialist approach to heritage prevents Greece from adopting inclusive cultural heritage management (CHM) practices. Recent studies have shown that such inclusive practices may counteract social divisiveness and marginalisation of minority communities by alleviating social tension and promoting positive social experiences, hence well-being and mental health (see, for instance, Schaepe et al 2017).

The student will focus on the economic crisis and key earlier periods-the Greek Civil War (1946-49); the Military Dictatorship (1967-1974)-to 1) examine whether the state enacted conscious CHM policies to promote a uniform view of the past and bind Greece together during times of unrest by favouring Classical archaeological projects; 2) expose CHM practices that create cultural stress amongst minority communities. Her aim is to design an inclusive framework of CHM practices that meet the needs of contemporary, multicultural communities in Greece and beyond and improve their well-being and mental health. Heritage's 'healing' power is particularly significant now as countries seek to recover not only economically but also socially from the COVID-19 pandemic.