Archaeological Tourism Etiquette for Newbies

Archaeology and tourism have an uneasy relationship. The former needs the latter for funding but could do without untrained travelers traipsing over priceless artifacts. Archaeological tourism is educational and fun -- keep it this way by learning a basic code of conduct.

Know what you're looking at

When joining archaeological tours traveling through Greece, know that each locale has its individual merits. Do not lump in the Athenian temples with the hippodrome of Delphi. Nothing is more frustrating to tour guides -- and other travelers -- than having to remind a tour group member of her current whereabouts. Read up on the famous sights well before ever setting foot onto the country's soil.

Know the law

Government officials will only continue to permit archaeology trips to known sites, if the tourists agree to abide by the laws governing these historical venues. Most any country has legislation on the books that prohibits anyone from damaging or modifying an archaeological site. Yet did you know that travelers must take this to the extreme and interpret it to mean the removal of a rock from one area of the site to another?

In fact, during my last trip to Greece, ubiquitous signs forbade tourists from picking up dropped items; we had to call a guard to have cameras picked up. The reason is clear: officials do not want tourists to make off with 'keepsakes' from historic sites.

Practice minimum impact access

There is the unsavory stereotype that depicts a group of tourists -- cameras dangling from their necks -- who hit a dig like a herd of cattle. Archaeology and tourism cannot coexist unless each visitor understands and commits to minimum impact practices. This means staying on marked paths only, looking for defined paths where none are marked, leaving pets and small children at home, picking up and dropping nothing, looking but not touching -- unless invited to do so by a tour guide -- and observing rules about flash photography. Moreover, do not interrupt active digs with questions or suggestions; be seen but not heard.

Know your learning style

You are committed to the hands-off approach, you know that you will not pick up even one rock or potsherd sliver and you also do not want to be a bother to hard-working archaeologists. Even so, you still want to get the most out of your archaeological tours.

Doing so is made easier if you know your learning style. For example, an auditory learner will benefit tremendously from following a tour guide who narrates the sites and offers verbose instruction. In contrast, author Jafar Jafari -- in the "Encyclopedia of Tourism" -- explains that other learning types will benefit so much more from audio-visual displays offered by museums and visitor centers. Combine these experiences with visits to active digs for maximum effect and enjoyment.

Source

Jafar Jafari: "Encyclopedia of Tourism"