Ett kulturarv värt att satsa på - en studie över fornlämningars attraktionskraft

Tourists are gathering to discover the ancient monuments of Sweden. A rising number of people find interest in exploring the cultural landscape. When they do, they often visit a few well-advertised sights that are easy to find through tourist information or online search engines. These popular tourist attractions provide economical benefits for local companies and can be part of maintaining a flourishing countryside lifestyle. Most importantly, they give status and attention to the monuments and prevent them from falling in decay. The aim of this paper is to bring forward the commercial potential of our ancient monuments and to define the foundation in creating an attractive cultural sight. The study is undertaken through three comparisons between two similar monuments, two rune stones, two megalithic graves and two grave mounds. The comparison is based partly on research about the monuments physical attributes, geographical location and cultural biography, and partly on interviews with people engaged in working with the sights. The analysis and results show three fundamental factors in creating an attractive cultural sight: a beneficial location, a documented excavation conducted at the sight and a well documented and advertised cultural biography. The conclusion is that widespread knowledge and awareness about ancient monuments is the best way of protecting them against destructive exploitation or decay. Knowledge and awareness is best attained through intermediation of archaeological and historical information, adapted to a target audience. The need for intermediation is too great and extensive of a task for government agencies alone. By delegating the task to well-informed individuals or local organisations, it is possible to both create job opportunities and extended care for ancient monuments. The collision between the private sector and the academic institutions requires good communication and cooperation