Den förmedlande arkeologin : En turistled kring Lina myr?

Sammanfattning: Hardy, J. 2017. The Archaeology of Mediation. A tourist route around Lina mire? Lina mire in the northeast of Gotland, is situated in a unique cultural landscape, with an abundance of archaeological remains and ancient monuments. The areas surrounding Lina mire include the parishes Gothem, Hörsne med Bara and Vallstena. These environments carry stories from the past which can take people walking there over 8000 years back in time. Having been identified by researchers as an important part of Gotlands cultural heritage, the surroundings of Lina and it´s rich history, are still left out to be seen in the eyes of the public. Either many of the monuments have been rather neglected, or the landscape has changed so much during time, that a lot of archaeological sites, such as ancient graves and settlements, now are invisible. In ancient times the wetlands and mires on Gotland (Lina mire being the largest) were important for fishing, hunting and haymaking. Today only 5 % of the wetlands remain due to draining and cultivation. This essay is part of a larger research project, called In Tjelvars Footsteps, conducted by Uppsala University/Campus Gotland. The aim is to investigate how the archaeology and history could be mediated in these landscapes, and whether there would be an interest in creating a tourist route around Lina mire or not. The research has been conducted by making ten interviews with locals and ten interviews with professionals. The analysis show that there is a great interest among both groups to mediate the cultural heritage of Lina mire. Concerns and problems that must be solved before building a tourist route are discussed and innovative ideas are lifted. The main, overall opinion is that the producers of the tourist route need to establish a good contact with the local landowners from the very beginning. Otherwise the project will not be realized.