ABSTRACT

Central to the cultural landscape construct is that heritage places are not separate dots on a map, rather that there is interdependence between people, events through time, and place. Linked to this is the notion that a deep human need for a sense of identity and belonging exists where a common denominator in this is attachment to landscape and how we find identity in landscape and place. Such attachment is universal and involves the relationship between culture – people – and nature, resulting in the formation of distinctive cultural landscapes as the settings for daily life, ritual, and contemplation. Therefore, it is critical to this discourse to understand the cultural traits of societies – their behaviours, beliefs, and symbols – and the necessity for examining them in their local context as demonstrated by Franz Boas over a century ago. 1