Critical Heritage and Museum Studies

Critical Heritage research at the UCL Institute of Archaeology is concerned with the critical investigation of both intellectual and practical approaches to key issues in the field.

UCL is a European leader in developing critical archaeological perspectives on the interpretation of cultural heritage. Institute research focuses on post-conflict heritage policy, conflict archaeology, and the politics of heritage in disputed territories and in former colonial societies as well as continuing to develop work on decolonising conservation as well as heritage and wellbeing. Ambitious interdisciplinary research to explore the potential for innovation and creative exchange across a broad range of heritage and related fields, in partnership with a number of academic and non-academic institutions and interest groups, is led by Institute staff.

Projects

Current projects

• AHRC Heritage Priority Area
• Ancient Merv Project
• Archaeological Site Management
• The Archaeology of Air Raid Shelters
• Black Atlantic Innovation Network
• Boxgrove Project
• Cane River African Diaspora Archaeological Project
• Central Asian Archaeological Landscapes (CAAL)
• Children and the Material Culture of Conflict
• Collections in Exile, Persons in Exile
• Evaluating the cultural cost of development in the new South Africa
• Heritage of Historic Cities and Multiculturalism (external network)
• Heritage Protection and AI
• Horn Heritage Digital Museum
• Keys of the Past: Keys to the Future
• Landscape Futures and the Challenge of Change: Towards Integrated Cultural/Natural Heritage Decision Making
• Mapping Africa’s Endangered Archaeological Sites and Monuments
• Mobilising collections histories for institutional change: Egypt at the Horniman Museum
• People Based Conservation
• Reclaiming African History
• Rethinking Museums for Climate Action
• Towards Inclusive Digital Museum Innovation 
• Understanding Heritage Wellbeing

Recent projects 

• Apps and the Humanities
• BigPicnic
• Building Solomon's Temple
• CHEurope: Critical Heritage Studies and the Future of Europe
• Craft China
• Cultures of Commodity Branding
• Digital Lahun Papyri
• Documentation of Iraqi Archaeological Sites
• Egypt's Dispersed Heritage
• Egypt Object Subject: 'treasuring things' as knowledge-histories
• Heritage Futures
• MicroPasts Knowledge Exchanges
• Projet Segou, Mali
• Restricted Access Pilot Project
• TOPOI-The Formation and Transformation of Space and Knowledge in Ancient Civilisations (external network)