The “house of culture” as an element of patrimonial activation. The case study of the historical town of “Concepción de la Sierra”. Misiones, Argentina

Abstract

This paper has as main purpose to present the activities developed by Casa de Cultura (House of Culture) within the framework of university extension projects. Casa de Cultura it´s a place dedicated to social activities located in the town of Concepción de la Sierra (province of Misiones). In the first instance, we provide an overview of the archaeological heritage of the Jesuit-Guarani reductions in the province of Misiones, with particular emphasis on the area under study. From this point, we analyze this cultural space, based on its functions and its relationship with heritage elements. Based on the research project “Historical Archeology in Concepción de la Sierra: reused spaces and archaeological materiality”, we also suggest an approach to day-to-day heritage and its articulation with local actors. For this purpose, we present the theoretical and methodological approach of “patrimonial activation” as a guide for the analysis, by integrating archaeological and museological study perspectives, and in this way, generate greater inclusion of local historical heritage. Finally, we discuss the benefits from generating promotion and integration archaeological activities with the community, and which guidelines should be developed to continue the articulation between university and local population.