Research On The Development Of Archaeological Site Museums In England

Archaeological sites contain considerable historical information,and are regarded as a material carrier of national historical culture.It is one of the significant principles of Heritage Conservation to protect sites and interpret their values to the public.The archaeological site museum has been constructed in this context.The UK,especially England,has made outstanding achievements in the field of archaeological site museums.There are not only a world’s first professional archaeological site museum,but also many new-built cases which are excellent in terms of site interpretation and architectural design.The systematic exploration of the development of such museums in England has certain academic value and practical significance.It is expected to make up for the lack of existing research,and to provide a certain reference for the construction of Chinese museums of this kind.The site and the archaeological site museum are the research objects.Through the analysis of the literature,the dialectical relationship between the two is discussed,and the three important factors influencing the research objects are sorted out.The theoretical analysis framework for the division of development stages of archaeological site museums are initially proposed.After 15 cases are researched by an overall analysis,several notable cases are intensively analysed to verify the previous analytical framework.Subsequently,Combined with the development of the archaeological site museums in England,the characteristics and causes of various stages are summarised.From the nineteenth century to the present,the development of the archaeological site museums in England are roughly divided into four main stages: ‘Original presentation’,‘Formation’,‘Exploration’,and ‘Maturity’.Through case analysis,the clear development of the archaeological site museum and the causes behind them are revealed.Although the characteristics of museums in four stages are diverse,they are special products in different contexts.Finally,regarded on the comparative study of the advantages and disadvantages of archaeological site museums between China and England,some practical suggestions that are in line with the future development of Chinese archaeological site museums are explored.