Introduction

The language used to label and describe objects, places, and ideas of heritage has changed over time. Archaeological sites or historic structures have been referred to variously as cultural resources, cultural property, cultural heritage, or heritage resources. Attempts to codify denitions of heritage have confounded scholars, lawmakers, and practitioners alike; some are perceived as too narrow while others so broad that they become meaningless (Ahmad 2006; Carman 2000; Harvey 2001). The 2005 Council of Europe Faro Framework Convention on the Value of Cultural Heritage for Society provides a reasonable denition with which to begin our discussion of heritage values: “Cultural heritage is a group of resources inherited from the past which people identify, independently of ownership, as a reection and expression of their constantly evolving values, beliefs, knowledge and traditions” (Council of Europe 2005: Section I, Article 2(a)).