Desiderio
Gil Vaquero Córdoba Journal, March 25, 2011
Archaeology would be nothing without the society that creates and sustains. Those of us engaged in this profession have the ultimate goal to recreate the events (also, thought, attitude toward life and death) of those who preceded us in time, or, what is, to make history. As everyone knows, we focus on the remnants of the past: ruins, foundations, "tejoletes" and organic wastes, which are the files of the soil. One category of sources that pass garbage historical document from the time they are recovered through a scientific method and subjected to exegesis by well-trained minds to it, able to see beyond the obvious and generate knowledge. Any place where there has been evidence that human activity keeps well read and interpreted, are sufficient to reconstruct the events site and those who lived there. But it does not stop there. Often, those documents or materials take monumental artistic category and require a particular type of treatment designed to preserve, value and monetize them as a potential resource, cultural and economic. Thus, the Archaeology happens to be another way to recreate the story to transcend its own conceptual and management need to own that become a source of pride, a hallmark and source of employment. Nothing more and nothing less.
This problem reaches its zenith in cities like Cordoba, with a complexity as a site that I have been bringing in other items on which further reflect on the future. No one escapes the boom of archeology in the last thirty years (especially in its urban dimension), and the crisis that affects since the housing bubble burst, given the strong marriage between them. Nothing will ever be what has been, and largely the responsibility is ours (I mean the authorities with relevant competence, the professional group of archaeologists, and society as a whole), not to have known what was expected occur, blinded by the rush of day to day and the money, nor address the whole spectrum of possibilities that allows and requires discipline, from the point of view of interpretation, management and its reversion to society. Something from the research group I lead, in the framework of its cooperation agreement with the Municipal Planning, have been addressed in the measure that allowed the timing and strength, but now becomes a matter of urgency and will become priority over the next years. With this we seek to transfer to society the knowledge accumulated over nearly two decades of work, convinced that only if the public sees and understands what archeology is learn to respect, care for and defend. Also, show that there are other ways of addressing the past, as a common heritage can generate sustainable employment and enrich the heritage and tourism in the city, while multiplying its attractions and its projection in the world. According to this philosophy, we have consolidated the work was already underway in a new project: "Archaeology is all of us, we will keep active until society Cordoba request, and that in an absolutely voluntary on the part of those who integrate, discussed during the next few years to bring the latest findings of our archeology at Cordoba on the street, going to their own neighborhoods. This visit to the Civic Center, those who take exhibitions, lectures, speeches, and guided tours, archeology will approach the street by an exhibition to be held in the Grand Boulevard Captain in the first half of June, and call attention to the need to know where we walk through conference venues spread over many, walking or cycling along our archaeological heritage visible and invisible (I mean preserved in many buildings and basements), and the implementation of arqueódromos (in the Civic Center and Botanical Garden ) that children may attend five to ten years to test for themselves the emotion of making history. This is a lively and open project, which can add anyone who is interested (more on ARQUEOCORDOBA ) and start almost from scratch, but with the invaluable support of some institutions, associations and companies that Cordoba immediately have understood their need and potential, truly infinite. I warmly thank them all for allowing a pipe dream into reality.
Let me conclude by inviting them to participate in the bet. The future of Cordoba is possible, and it will have much to say his past. We owe it to our young people who are our uncertain, but hopeful present.
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