The Nature of Heritage

The Nature of Heritage: The New South Africa is unique in revealing the conflicts inherent in preserving both natural and cultural heritage, by examining the archaeological, ethnographic and economic evidence of a nation's attempts to master its past and its future. Provides a classic example of how nations attempt to overcome a negative heritage through past mastering of their historiesEvaluates the continuing dominance of nature and conservation over concerns for cultural heritageEmploys ethnographic and archaeological methodologies to reveal how the past is processed into a new national heritageIdentifies heritage as therapy, exemplified in the strategy for repairing legacies of racial and ethnic difference in post-apartheid South AfricaHighlights the role of archaeological heritage sites, national parks and protected areas in economic development and social empowermentExplores how nature trumps culture and the global implications of the new configurations of heritage