Abstract

This chapter is both an exploration of the relationship between contemporary archaeology and heritage, and a contemporary archaeology of heritage. This first part of this chapter explores heritage as a manifestation of a late modern experience society in which the past is perceived to be both immanent and imminent in the present. The second explores the role of archaeology in investigating heritage as a contemporary social phenomenon. Drawing on two brief examples, it considers the production of heritage ‘experiences’ as a key manifestation of the nature of heritage in late modern experience societies. Each heritage site is understood to represent an assemblage composed of a number of different ancient and modern devices, technologies, and apparatuses which might be subject to archaeological investigation.