Nigel J. Hetherington

In 2004, the Theban Mapping Project were commissioned by the Supreme Council for Antiquities with researching and producing a site management masterplan for the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt.
The initial stages of the plan involved a stakeholder audit followed by a detailed stakeholder consultation. The author was assigned the task of planning and implementing the consultation.
A values based approach was adopted in the methodology of the site management plan, a framework endorsed by the work of the Getty Conservation Institute. This approach recognises when conserving heritage, we are preserving not just physical remains, but the values, beliefs and mores of society. Theses values held by individuals are personal and dynamic and often conflict with our own ‘professionally’ held beliefs. However, the recognition of values is essential if heritage decision making is to be successful in the long term.

Cultural Heritage Management does not exist in a political vacuum; the discourse is affected by the prevailing socio-political climate in which it resides. Recognising the role values play in the social construction of ‘heritage’ leads to more informed decision-making and greater acceptance of planning decisions by stakeholders.

This paper will present the background, methodology, results and significance of a values driven plan: “The Valley of the Kings Stakeholder Consultation”.

Keywords: Site Management, Values, Stakeholders, Consultation, Egypt, Valley of the Kings

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