Books by José Antonio González Zarandona
University of Pennsylvania Press, 2020
Located in the Dampier Archipelago of Western Australia, Murujuga is the single largest archaeolo... more Located in the Dampier Archipelago of Western Australia, Murujuga is the single largest archaeological site in the world. It contains an estimated one million petroglyphs, or rock art motifs, produced by the Indigenous Australians who have historically inhabited the archipelago. To date, there has been no comprehensive survey of the site's petroglyphs or those who created them. Since the 1960s, regional mining interests have caused significant damage to this site, destroying an estimated 5 to 25 percent of the petroglyphs in Murujuga. Today, Murujuga holds the unenviable status of being one of the most endangered archaeological sites in the world.
Book Chapters by José Antonio González Zarandona
Sites of Pluralism. Community Politics in the Middle East, 2019
Quality Management of Cultural Heritage: problems and best practices. Proceedings of the XVII UIS... more Quality Management of Cultural Heritage: problems and best practices. Proceedings of the XVII UISPP World Congress (1–7 September, Burgos, Spain). Volume 8 / Session A13 edited by Maurizio Quagliuolo and Davide Delfino. ISBN 9781784912956.
From Lascaux to Shanidar caves, from Malta temples to Stonenge (and the ‘new’ one...), from Serra da Capivara to Foz Coa park, from Australia to North Africa’s Rock Art, from Pechino to Isernia excavations, from the Musée de l’Homme in Paris to the Museum of Civilization in Quebéc, from Çatal Hüyük to the Varna village, from the Rift Valley to the Grand Canyon, most problems have to be fronted in a common perspective. But which perspective? Is it possible to have a common point of view on different values, different sites, different methodologies? The Scientific Commission for the Quality Management of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sites, Monuments and Museums© set up at UISPP by initiative of the author (UISPP-PPCHM) is aimed to examine these issues and propose solutions acceptable to all those who want to contribute to common understanding of our past history.
The only certainty in fact is our Past. It is undoubted that it happened, it is undoubted that its consequences are in place today, it is undoubted that it is affecting persons, social groups or larger structures in some ways also when it is disregarded. The help of specialists from different Countries and the exchange of opinions with other colleagues from other fields and/or organizations is then needed in order to: discuss the reasons and possibilities for preservation and use of Sites, Monuments and Museums; let the management of Rock Art Sites and Parks, Prehistoric excavations, Museums and Interpretations Centres and related structures open to the public to be made according to criteria agreed at an International level, both in normal and critical conditions; enhance standards in preserving, communicating and using Sites, Monuments and Museums; involve the public and diffuse awareness; analyse tourism benefits and risks at these destinations; introduce new opportunities for jobs and training; develop networks on these topics in connection with other specialized Organizations. This session aimed to ask: what is your experience? Which problems would you like to address? What solutions can be considered?
Papers by José Antonio González Zarandona
Routledge eBooks, Jul 18, 2023
Routledge eBooks, Jul 18, 2023
Routledge eBooks, Jul 18, 2023
Apuntes. Revista de estudios sobre patrimonio cultural, Sep 23, 2020
En este artículo se hace una revisión de los casos de San Juan Teotihuacán, en el Estado de Méxic... more En este artículo se hace una revisión de los casos de San Juan Teotihuacán, en el Estado de México, y de Cuernavaca, en el Estado de Morelos, en México, en donde las tiendas Walmart y Costco se instalaron en predios con existencia de vestigios arqueológicos e históricos, respectivamente, afectando el patrimonio cultural del lugar. Esta situación provocó diversas manifestaciones y movilizaciones, las cuales finalmente fueron desestimadas no por la razón jurídica, sino por acciones de colusión entre las autoridades gubernamentales y las empresas en cuestión. Este texto tiene el objetivo realizar un recuento de los argumentos y posturas dadas a conocer, sobre todo por la prensa, con lo cual se pretende compilar los testimonios de los actores, como fuente de memoria de hechos no sólo ilegales, sino que presumiblemente afectaron el patrimonio cultural de diversas comunidades.
Zarch: Journal of interdisciplinary studies in architecture and urbanism, 2021
The International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences, 2020
Quality Management of Cultural Heritage: problems and best practices. Proceedings of the XVII UIS... more Quality Management of Cultural Heritage: problems and best practices. Proceedings of the XVII UISPP World Congress (1–7 September, Burgos, Spain). Volume 8 / Session A13 edited by Maurizio Quagliuolo and Davide Delfino. ISBN 9781784912956. From Lascaux to Shanidar caves, from Malta temples to Stonenge (and the ‘new’ one...), from Serra da Capivara to Foz Coa park, from Australia to North Africa’s Rock Art, from Pechino to Isernia excavations, from the Musée de l’Homme in Paris to the Museum of Civilization in Quebéc, from Çatal Hüyük to the Varna village, from the Rift Valley to the Grand Canyon, most problems have to be fronted in a common perspective. But which perspective? Is it possible to have a common point of view on different values, different sites, different methodologies? The Scientific Commission for the Quality Management of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sites, Monuments and Museums© set up at UISPP by initiative of the author (UISPP-PPCHM) is aimed to examine these issues and propose solutions acceptable to all those who want to contribute to common understanding of our past history. The only certainty in fact is our Past. It is undoubted that it happened, it is undoubted that its consequences are in place today, it is undoubted that it is affecting persons, social groups or larger structures in some ways also when it is disregarded. The help of specialists from different Countries and the exchange of opinions with other colleagues from other fields and/or organizations is then needed in order to: discuss the reasons and possibilities for preservation and use of Sites, Monuments and Museums; let the management of Rock Art Sites and Parks, Prehistoric excavations, Museums and Interpretations Centres and related structures open to the public to be made according to criteria agreed at an International level, both in normal and critical conditions; enhance standards in preserving, communicating and using Sites, Monuments and Museums; involve the public and diffuse awareness; analyse tourism benefits and risks at these destinations; introduce new opportunities for jobs and training; develop networks on these topics in connection with other specialized Organizations. This session aimed to ask: what is your experience? Which problems would you like to address? What solutions can be considered?
The Dampier Archipelago (Western Australia) consists of 42 islands;Dampier Island is the largest.... more The Dampier Archipelago (Western Australia) consists of 42 islands;Dampier Island is the largest. After large deposits of iron orewere discovered in the 1960s, and the ban to export it was lifted inDecember 1960, several companies were established in the area.Two towns were built: Dampier (1965) and Karratha (1968) toaccommodate the growing population. An artiA cial causeway wasbuilt to connect the island to the mainland. The area was chosento host the industrial facilities to process the iron ore, instead ofDepuch Island, located 100 km north of the archipelago. To somethis decision is the reason that between 5% and 25% of the rock arthas been already destroyed or removed due to industrial action.1Removal is the same as destruction, as rock art should always remainin situ in order to convey its meaning. In 1979 the name waschanged to Burrup Peninsula, as it is known today. Its Aboriginalname is Murujuga, which means »hip bone sticks out.«McDonald and Veth believe that up to 2004, l...
© 2013 Dr. José Antonio González ZarandonaConsidered by some archaeologists to be the largest roc... more © 2013 Dr. José Antonio González ZarandonaConsidered by some archaeologists to be the largest rock art site in the world, the Dampier Archipelago (located in Western Australia) contains up to one million prehistoric petroglyphs. Since the 1960s a number of companies have been established themselves in what is known as the Burrup Peninsula, the largest island in the archipelago. Not surprisingly, this action has brought the destruction of Aboriginal petroglyphs, thought to date back to 25,000 years BP. It is unknown how many have been destroyed and we are still missing important information about the region and the Aboriginal groups who made them. This thesis seeks to answer the following question: what are the causes that led the destruction of the largest open archaeological site in the world? This analysis of the destruction is framed by theories from the field of colonialism and visual and heritage studies. The aim is to explain the destruction and neglect of petroglyphs in the Dampier Archipelago as a natural response of European colonizers in the 19th century towards prehistoric art, and later on, by postcolonial attitudes that heavily influenced the mismanagement of this intangible and tangible cultural heritage. The critical reception of the Burrup Peninsula is investigated from the racist responses of colonial explorers, since the archipelago was “discovered” in the 17th century. There is a comparison between the discovery of prehistoric Aboriginal art in Australia and the discovery of prehistoric art in Europe. This comparison will show what the settlers and explorers were expecting when they arrived to Western Australia and looked at Aboriginal art for the first time. Likewise, the concept of heritage is critically analysed and its true scope to manage, preserve and assess Aboriginal heritage in a postcolonial setting like Western Australia. Many studies have been undertaken on the archipelago. While some touch upon the destruction, their aim is essentially other. This thesis aims to fill this gap and considers this destruction of art as the focus of a rock art analysis
Throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, there have been a myriad of conflicts ... more Throughout the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, there have been a myriad of conflicts of very diverse nature, which have had catastrophic consequences for its inhabitants. To this day, countries in conflict in the region have also experienced unprecedented instability in the area, which is having effects on a global scale and whose importance and influence in many cases are difficult to predict. Needless to say, such conflicts have also caused severe damage to the heritage of the affected countries. In an effort to mitigate such damage towards heritage in these countries, this chapter will examine the work of Non-Governmental Organization Heritage for Peace (HfP) in protecting cultural heritage at different levels (international, Islamic and domestic law), by showing how important is the role of civil society regarding the applicability of international law for the protection of cultural heritage. The chapter will present different examples carried on by HfP through a vast network of collaborations among the civil society in Syria, Iraq, Yemen and Libya.
ISPRS - International Archives of the Photogrammetry, Remote Sensing and Spatial Information Sciences
Heritage & Society
This paper probes the process of heritage production in documentary films with a specific focus o... more This paper probes the process of heritage production in documentary films with a specific focus on the documentary film Taq Kasra Wonder of Architecture (Akbarzadeh 2018), which tells the story of the pre-Islamic Persian/Iranian historical site of Taq Kasra (the Arch of Ctesiphon), presently located in Iraq. The paper situates the film within a broader context of documentaries about Persian edifices in the region and draws on primary interview material with the documentary maker Pejman Akbarzadeh. Through its analyses, the paper shows how, especially in the Iranian setting, a documentary film can engage and (re)produce heritage, and how, when compared to that setting, Taq Kasra exposes persistent aspects of cultural politics within the Islamic Republic since its establishment after the Islamic Revolution of 1979 and Saddam Hussein’s policies. In doing so, it is argued that the film provides a mode of critical enquiry into heritage in current historical and political circumstances in Iran. The paper addresses a lacuna in both critical heritage and film studies, namely, the analysis and interpretation of the making of heritage in film and as film.
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Books by José Antonio González Zarandona
Book Chapters by José Antonio González Zarandona
From Lascaux to Shanidar caves, from Malta temples to Stonenge (and the ‘new’ one...), from Serra da Capivara to Foz Coa park, from Australia to North Africa’s Rock Art, from Pechino to Isernia excavations, from the Musée de l’Homme in Paris to the Museum of Civilization in Quebéc, from Çatal Hüyük to the Varna village, from the Rift Valley to the Grand Canyon, most problems have to be fronted in a common perspective. But which perspective? Is it possible to have a common point of view on different values, different sites, different methodologies? The Scientific Commission for the Quality Management of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sites, Monuments and Museums© set up at UISPP by initiative of the author (UISPP-PPCHM) is aimed to examine these issues and propose solutions acceptable to all those who want to contribute to common understanding of our past history.
The only certainty in fact is our Past. It is undoubted that it happened, it is undoubted that its consequences are in place today, it is undoubted that it is affecting persons, social groups or larger structures in some ways also when it is disregarded. The help of specialists from different Countries and the exchange of opinions with other colleagues from other fields and/or organizations is then needed in order to: discuss the reasons and possibilities for preservation and use of Sites, Monuments and Museums; let the management of Rock Art Sites and Parks, Prehistoric excavations, Museums and Interpretations Centres and related structures open to the public to be made according to criteria agreed at an International level, both in normal and critical conditions; enhance standards in preserving, communicating and using Sites, Monuments and Museums; involve the public and diffuse awareness; analyse tourism benefits and risks at these destinations; introduce new opportunities for jobs and training; develop networks on these topics in connection with other specialized Organizations. This session aimed to ask: what is your experience? Which problems would you like to address? What solutions can be considered?
Papers by José Antonio González Zarandona
From Lascaux to Shanidar caves, from Malta temples to Stonenge (and the ‘new’ one...), from Serra da Capivara to Foz Coa park, from Australia to North Africa’s Rock Art, from Pechino to Isernia excavations, from the Musée de l’Homme in Paris to the Museum of Civilization in Quebéc, from Çatal Hüyük to the Varna village, from the Rift Valley to the Grand Canyon, most problems have to be fronted in a common perspective. But which perspective? Is it possible to have a common point of view on different values, different sites, different methodologies? The Scientific Commission for the Quality Management of Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sites, Monuments and Museums© set up at UISPP by initiative of the author (UISPP-PPCHM) is aimed to examine these issues and propose solutions acceptable to all those who want to contribute to common understanding of our past history.
The only certainty in fact is our Past. It is undoubted that it happened, it is undoubted that its consequences are in place today, it is undoubted that it is affecting persons, social groups or larger structures in some ways also when it is disregarded. The help of specialists from different Countries and the exchange of opinions with other colleagues from other fields and/or organizations is then needed in order to: discuss the reasons and possibilities for preservation and use of Sites, Monuments and Museums; let the management of Rock Art Sites and Parks, Prehistoric excavations, Museums and Interpretations Centres and related structures open to the public to be made according to criteria agreed at an International level, both in normal and critical conditions; enhance standards in preserving, communicating and using Sites, Monuments and Museums; involve the public and diffuse awareness; analyse tourism benefits and risks at these destinations; introduce new opportunities for jobs and training; develop networks on these topics in connection with other specialized Organizations. This session aimed to ask: what is your experience? Which problems would you like to address? What solutions can be considered?
Session convenor(s): Antonio Gonzalez Zarandona (Deakin University)
Submit paper proposals to: [email protected]
The interfaces of contemporary art and critical heritage studies have never been more intertwined. Concerns with voice, intangibility, participation, archive, digital ethnographies, and the ethics of history are explored as powerful tropes in both art and critical heritage studies in the 21st century.
And despite numerous calls from heritage studies to embrace the vitality of contemporary cultural practices outside of the orthodox narrative of conservation, heritage, and tourism, there seems to be few instances where the trans-disciplinary potential of collaboration and methodological
examination have been examined. What of the possibility of contemporary art as critical heritage? This is not an easy question to answer.
This session seeks to examine a range of perspectives from critical heritage, contemporary art, and trans-disciplinary practitioners that explores new ways of thinking and forming an enriched and
vibrant possibility. Participants will ideally situate contemporary art-practices and conceptualisations of heritage and culture within critical readings of identity, destruction, restoration, politics, and authenticity. The argument is that artists, and curators to an extent, have used heritage discourses to comment on global issues and create art that speaks about these issues.
The ascendancy of Heritage Studies is traced as a field of expertise which informs and constitute particular intellectual and governmental structures today in the field of contemporary art. The session is relevant to the conference theme because it will emphasise how the production of heritage discourses have influenced artists, curators and institutions which fashion truths and methods into new instruments of cultural and social governance.
In answering these questions, as theorists of iconoclasm we must face the limits of our own knowledge; we must re-test our hypotheses and study cases on their own terms. We, therefore, invite some of the most active iconoclasts in Australia – First Nations contemporary artists – to reflect on the motives, targets and treatments that animate their work. Our aim is to open up the field to scrutiny in order that iconoclast and scholar of iconoclasm might reshape theory together.