In 2017, Cornelius Holtorf was appointed UNESCO Chair on Heritage Futures, Sweden’s first and, so far, only UNESCO Chair for the cultural sector. Through this role, he hopes to bring a broader perspective to our understanding of cultural heritage in Sweden – one that covers not only historical learning and tourism but also peace, sustainability, and social inclusion.
Archaeology is usually all about looking to the past, but as a future-oriented archaeologist, Cornelius reflects the past in the present and looks to the future.
“For me, it’s not about what we can discover from another time but what we leave behind for future generations.”
Final storage from a future perspective
Thirteen years ago, Cornelius and his colleague Anders Högberg were commissioned by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company to investigate how knowledge about how to manage the final repository can be preserved in the long term, so that future generations won’t come into contact with radioactive waste due to lack of awareness.
“There are currently quite a few proposals on how we can preserve information, using writing and various kinds of symbols on durable materials. But the kind of knowledge we would like to preserve for the future is likely to change over time.”
According to Cornelius, it’s also possible to arrive at entirely different solutions by instead viewing the repository as cultural heritage – an object with values in constant flux.
“While the final repository poses a potential health risk, it may also come to be regarded as an important historical source, providing future generations with information about modern energy policy since World War II. Nuclear power has played a very significant role in this. It can also provide insight into the development of the environmental movement, where opposition to nuclear power was a key factor in how everything got started in the 1970s. In a few centuries, entirely different knowledge and values will likely be considered important to preserve. That’s why we should plan for change, not against it.”
An unconventional take on cultural heritage
Cornelius also has an unconventional take on managing cultural heritage. It’s often said that cultural heritage should be preserved for the benefit of future generations, but just like the past and history are not primarily about continuity but about change, we should manage cultural heritage with change as the guiding principle rather than preservation for the future.
“Culture presented in political contexts often revolves around preservation, continuity, and identity, but in reality, the future is about change, new situations, and transformations. The real challenge lies in how we handle that process – this is where culture and cultural heritage can contribute significantly.”
So, Cornelius prefers to look ahead, and for him, it’s obvious that archaeology has a lot to offer to that perspective. While the general view of cultural heritage often focuses on objects, Cornelius instead places people at the forefront, believing that the value of cultural heritage lies in its functions within society.
Cultural heritage in war and conflict
One example of Cornelius’s view on cultural heritage concerns the Buddha statues in the Bamiyan Valley in Afghanistan. The statues were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001, and while Cornelius acknowledges the tragedy of this destruction, he believes it nevertheless created new values.
“Cultural heritage reflects everything that has happened. The Taliban’s destruction has not only made the Buddha statues world-renowned and effectively turned them into a UNESCO World Heritage Site. What remains at the site also reflects an important part of modern global history and diverse perspectives on culture and cultural heritage. The story of the Taliban’s destruction is also about the beginnings of contemporary radical Islamism and perhaps a new world order, where the Western world is no longer at the centre.”
According to Cornelius, our view of cultural heritage and its role in society needs to change. The preservation of cultural heritage is often based on current values and perspectives; we tend to assess the importance of something based on our own perceptions and our own time. To make better decisions going forward, we should instead consider how we view the future and what we actually want to achieve in relation to that future.
Culture presented in political contexts often revolves around preservation, continuity, and identity, but in reality, the future is about change, new situations, and transformations.
Who should cultural heritage benefit?
Grasca – public benefit and applied archaeology
Between 2015 and 2024, Cornelius directed the Graduate School in Contract Archaeology (GRASCA), which focused on extending the public benefits of archaeology in society.
“Through GRASCA, we opened up possibilities for applying archaeology in new contexts that go beyond conveying knowledge about other eras. It covered everything from urban planning to helping the police solve crimes more effectively through forensic archaeology.”
If there’s one change Cornelius hopes to achieve with his research, this is probably it: making archaeology a bit more mainstream in society.
“Today, archaeology is sometimes viewed in much the same way as an orchid – it’s exotic and fascinating, but people can’t really say what it contributes in terms of actual relevance. Archaeologists are often seen as people digging for finds and having a bit of fun on the side, but that’s completely wrong. What we do contributes to peace, sustainability, social integration, and a whole lot of other things that are both vital and beneficial to society.”
We should consider how we want cultural heritage to be used in the future, and who it should benefit. Today’s decision-makers seem convinced that future generations will appreciate remnants like stone walls in the forest, but that’s not a given at all, is it?
As Cornelius points out, the future is uncertain, but he stresses that there are some clear trends, such as the effects of climate change, demographic development, and technological advancements.
“We must collectively consider what kind of world we see ahead, and how we should prepare for it. We may very well be wrong, but that’s still better than just assuming everything will go on as it is, and not think about it at all.”
Cornelius Holtorf
Professor of archaeology
Cornelius Holtorf studied prehistoric archaeology, anthropology, and human osteology. He led the Graduate School in Contract Archaeology, GRASCA, and since 2017, he has been holding a UNESCO Chair on Heritage Futures. In this role, he conducts research on topics such as the cultural heritage we leave behind for future generations.
FUNDS AWARDED SINCE 2014
SEK 49.2 million Funders: The Knowledge Foundation and archaeological companies
SEK 3.9 million Funders: The Arts and Humanities Research Council, the Crafoord Foundation, the Kamprad Family Foundation, Riksbankens Jubileumsfond, the Swedish Transport Administration, the Swedish Research Council, Vinnova
