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Conference Paper
Claire Nolan
2017
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Therapeutic Landscapes of Prehistory: Exploring the therapeutic value and potential of prehistoric landscapes in the present day
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In recent years heritage professionals and researchers in the UK have been called on increasingly to evidence the social value of the historic environment in terms of its impact on wellbeing. Previous research in this area has successfully demonstrated the wellbeing effects of heritage participation, particularly with regard to the promotion of social and human capital. However, proving somewhat more difficult to capture, the intrinsic value of the historic environment and its influence on individual wellbeing is less well-understood. This paper examines these issues through a review of qualitative research recently undertaken in the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site (WHS) and the Vale of Pewsey, Wiltshire, in order to further explore how individuals experience, interpret and value these prehistoric landscapes, and how this knowledge can support the development of the historic environment as a therapeutic resource for others in the future. Drawing on preliminary results from semi-structured interviews with local residents, and reflective workshops with student and community groups, this paper considers some of the unique and fundamental ways in which the historic environment affects personal wellbeing.
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Grant Details
Art & Humanities Research Council