April 2020: "Heritage on the Edge" (Prof Jane Downes)
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Climate change drivers are affecting cultural heritage in a number of ways, and sea level rise and increased storminess are impacting coastal heritage sites across the globe. The impact this is having on the archaeological resource and on island communities’ sustainability will be explored using two World Heritage Site case studies: Rapa Nui (Easter Island) and Orkney. The presentation considers the contribution of archaeological and interdisciplinary research into coastal erosion sites to climate change understanding and policy, and examines how coastal erosion and the destruction of these iconic sites can be a powerful tool for climate action.
Professor Jane Downes, Director of the UHI Archaeology Institute, Orkney College UHI
