Chapter 5 From Site to Society: From a Garbage Dumping Place to a Local Heritage Site Tomomi Fushiya and Aloisa De Trafford ABSTRACT Until recently Egyptology has been slow to follow mainstream archaeology in the use of public archaeology, out-reach programmes and methods of site management. However, in the last few years things have gradually started to change and many site management and conservation projects have been initiated, such as those for the Giza Plateau and Valley of the Kings. Community archaeology has been practiced at the Red Sea Coast site of Quseir, but can this type of public archaeology be extended to other sites through more engagement with the local communities and the utilisation of better education about their local and national history and heritage? The mobilisation of local communities in heritage management is a reasonably cheap and efficient means of protecting sites, but it takes time to educate the population and install the infrastructure needed to run these programmes. INTRODUCTION Known worldwide, the long history of Egypt, with its rich material culture, have left significant monuments and artefacts to the present and future generations. Since the time of the Napoleonic expedition and the British Mandate, archaeological sites have been extensively excavated. After excavation, most of them have been left exposed to the environment and human activities, consequently many have been damaged or destroyed. Although back-filling of sites that are not intended to be shown to the public has been practiced since Petrie’s day, many sites remain vulnerable to various threats. Among the 10,000+ known sites in the country (Hassan & Tassie, 2001: 33-4, who intimate that this is about 10% of the actual sites still to be located and investigated), many are non-use value sites (those not on the tourist trail) and as a result do not receive sufficient site management. However, awareness of Egypt’s deteriorating archaeological monuments and sites is increasing amongst the professionals who have traditionally conducted research and management of the sites. Reflecting this new ethos are debates in scientific publications, and the actual practice of conservation and site management, which can be found at various sites across the country (e.g. Ago et al., 2003; ARCE, 2008; Demas & Agnew, 2008; Bianca, 2001; Hassan, 2001; 2003; Hawass, 1995; 2000; 2003; Leblanc, 2008; Moser et al., 2002; Tassie 2005; Weeks & Hetherington, 2006). The development of knowledge and skills to preserve Egypt’s finite sites, and the greater attention to the subject are certainly welcome. However, the principle underlying many projects needs to be re-examined, because too often they underestimate the influence of the socio-cultural context within which the sites are situated and the importance of continuous care for the sites in favour of short-term, remedial conservation work. Hawass (2008: 6) states: ‘monuments were excavated, conservation programmes conducted, personnel trained, and visitor facilities were constructed - but seldom, if ever, with an overarching vision for the understanding and protection of the site as a whole’. In Egypt, the suitable land for cultivation and habitation is still largely the same as in the Pharaonic era, the fertile area bordering the River Nile – the river Valley and the Delta.