Dr Erin Gibson
I am an anthropological archaeologist whose research focusses on heritage and movement in contested landscapes (Canada and Cyprus). My previous research in Canada with the indigenous Stl’atl’imx people of the Lower Lillooet River Valley (SSHRC Postdoctoral Fellow 2011-2013) highlighted the relationship among heritage, identity and movement.
I am currently a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellow in Archaeology at the University of Glasgow, Scotland [view profile] where my research (PATH: Pathways to Heritage (2016-2018) explores heritage formation and its articulation in a rural village in Cyprus. Like many rural villages around the world, Nikitari faces depopulation as young people move to the city for employment and social activities. I work with the local Women’s Group, Youth Group and other community volunteers to document the places and practices in the village that are meaningful to them. I explore the role of participatory techniques and community based approaches in the formation of community identity and empowerment and reflect on my own role in the process of heritage formation.