Research, conservation and enhancement of the Roman villa of Salar (Granada)

RESULTS

From a social and cultural point of view, the Salar Town Council’s firm commitment to research, conservation, museumization and dissemination of this heritage asset has had rapid consequences for this small, once-unknown town: in just four years, it has become a benchmark, not only at regional and provincial level, but also at regional level, for good heritage practices, and a clear example of how investment in this heritage is invested in the short term and multiplied in the town that plays a leading role in it, on an economic, social and cultural level.

The spectacular and unique structures of the Roman villa of Salar make it an exceptional archaeological site for historical research in the Roman Betica province. However, being this aspect important, it is not less important the social and participative aspect with which we conceive the Archaeology in this team, which comes from my own formation and belonging to the Laboratory of Biocultural Archaeology-MEMOLab of the University of Granada, to which this project is associated, as well as to the Department of Prehistory and Archaeology of the above mentioned academic institution.

Indeed, we understand that archaeology has the duty to return to society the investment made in its research, and this should be done through various dissemination and outreach activities. The socialization of archaeology involves generating lines and contents of a formative and pedagogical nature, with languages adapted to all social segments; as has already been pointed out, it is essential to combine didactic activities and citizen participation, fostering the relationship between the population and the heritage. In this case, it is fundamental to implement a procedure for the recognition of heritage values in the construction of the community’s cultural identity.

However, as this aspect is important, we believe that it is not less important, and this also makes our project very unique, the great effort of its professionals and collaborators to convert the research of a heritage asset into a source of sustainable development both for Salar and its region, understanding this not only in its economic concept, but also in its cultural and social one. And the results obtained in this socio-cultural aspect of the heritage are what we are most proud of, as they clearly show that investment in this type of asset is profitable, even in the short term, and becomes in the town and its surroundings an improvement in the quality of life of its inhabitants, both real and perceived, as well as an excellent tool for facing up to the sad reality of empty Spain, of which so many rural and inland municipalities in our autonomous community form part.

Thus, in Salar an immediate social profitability is being generated, in the form of an increase in the perception of the quality of life of the citizens, who assume this patrimonial property, not only as an identity and cultural reference of Salar and the Salareños, but as an alternative for its precarious economic fabric, which can now be based on a sustainable and quality tourism. In this way, and in a very few years, this investment is shown to be not only socially amortized, but also economically profitable.
Salar’s future, together with its historical and archaeological heritage, is looking much better than it did just four years ago.