Beyond the 1964 Venice Charter: cultural heritage as regeneration (ever changing never less than whole)

In the age of climate change, even cultural heritage and the meaning of the past must be rethought to meet contemporary and future needs. This task is already being addressed encompassing studies of cultural heritage in relation to the Anthropocene, people-centred approaches, and post-human perspectives, which I build on here. From an archaeological perspective, I ask what it means to imagine a framework for cultural heritage that is inspired by the notion of regeneration embracing continuous change and transformation in relation to both natural and cultural heritage. In this perspective, what matters is not safeguarding authentic remains of the past such as monuments and sites, but to ensure the preconditions for the wellbeing of fellow human and non-human beings living under changing circumstances in the present and the future. I conclude with discussion of some implications of what such a life-centred perspective may mean for future practices of heritage management beyond central principles of the 1964 Venice Charter.