ABSTRACT
The way in which heritage has been defined and analysed in this book places a premium upon meaning and its contestation. If heritage is the contemporary use of the past and is defined and constructed through present circumstances, then, because those are not agreed, heritage itself cannot be otherwise. It is the often conflicting meanings, combined with the multi-use and multi-consumption of heritage, which makes any attempt at synthesis so complex and prone to constant qualification. The simple circuit model outlined in the Introduction (Figure 1.1) conceals a plethora of difficulties and complications in realizing a geography of heritage.
