The book challenges conventional narratives, recasting local communities as vital allies in safeguarding Türkiye’s archaeological heritage.
Written by Dr Işılay Gürsu, Assistant Director at the British Institute at Ankara, Public Dialogues in Archaeology: New Methodologies from Turkey (Bloomsbury Academic) places the ‘public’ at the centre of public archaeology while challenging long-held assumptions about how people engage with the past.
For decades, institutional authorities and heritage professionals have often viewed the public—particularly rural communities living alongside archaeological sites—as a challenge to conservation efforts or as passive recipients of expert knowledge. Drawing on more than a decade of quantitative and qualitative research, Dr Gürsu’s book offers an alternative perspective, demonstrating how local communities can be recognised as indispensable partners in the protection and swewardship of archaeological heritage.
Challenging the notion that formal archaeological knowledge is a prerequisite for appreciating the past, the volume explores how people connect with heritage through sensory, emotional, and embodied experiences.
Reflecting on the book’s central argument, Dr Gürsu writes:
“Throughout this book, I argue against antagonizing communities. Rather, by giving direct voice to a variety of community members, I promote the idea that archaeological assets have an untapped potential to trigger social change, which can be activated by, among other things, an academic curiosity in the current values, understandings and meanings assigned to archaeology and archaeological assets by different communities.”
Public Dialogues in Archaeology can be purchased from Bloomsbury.
Dr Gürsu was the Director of the Pisidia Heritage Trail project (2013-2022) and author of the Trail’s Guidebook.
If you are interested in joining the upcoming tour in October 2026, please check the details here.