Tourism in the Time of Coronavirus. Fruition of the “Minor Heritage” through the Development of Bioarchaeological Sites—A Proposal

• Main Authors: Marta Licata, Omar Larentis, Chiara Tesi, Roberta Fusco, Rosagemma Ciliberti
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-05-01
• Series: Heritage
• Subjects: bioarchaeological tourism; minor archaeology; tourism during coronavirus; osteoarchaeological finds; minor cultural heritage; human remains
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/4/2/42

The consequences of the coronavirus pandemic are and will continue to be devastating for the tourism sector, especially for the cultural one. It is necessary to reflect on the new strategies to be adopted to deal with the heavy losses that the world of cultural heritage is suffering. The great archaeological attractions will no longer be able to accommodate the prepandemic numbers and therefore we must also think of alternative routes to present the minor heritage of our country. In recent years, our experience has allowed us to realize an open-air museum project in bioarchaeological sites (archaeological cemetery areas characterized by the recovery of human remains) that are part of an archaeological heritage that is little known, but which reserve great dissemination and fruition potential. The design of an archaeological itinerary, even a virtual one, which includes the bioarchaeological sites that we are musealizing, could offer a new visiting experience, especially in this difficult moment for all of us.