The Centre for Global Heritage and Development stimulates heritage research in its social context. One of the priorities is how heritage can contribute to the quality of life.
Lilla Vonk is a Research Master student in Archaeological Heritage Management who is interested in the relation between heritage and psychological healthcare, in particular dementia. Dementia is prevalent among the elderly population of Europe, and cases of dementia are expected to increase rapidly in the coming years. While dementia has severe psychological impact and social consequences for individuals, it has primarily been studied from a neuro-medical viewpoint. Understandings of the psycho-social implications of the syndrome and consequences for wellbeing and quality of life are topics that have begun to emerge only in the previous two decades. An involvement of disciplines other than those stemming from the neurological and medical fields can enrich the way dementia and its effects on the wellbeing of individuals are handled. In this light, archaeology can make a valuable contribution to dementia care in Europe.
Lilla’s research project, which was sponsored by the Centre for Global Heritage and Development, explores what participation in activities centered on archaeology can do for people living with dementia. It seeks to identify the added value of an involvement of the archaeological sector in dementia care, focusing on what archaeology could be to people with dementia, how they could engage with archaeology and what might constitute an enriching experience to be gained from this engagement for people living with dementia.
The project rests on the hypothesis that archaeological activities, depending on their precise design, can facilitate tactile, intellectual and creative levels of engagement. It is held that participation in such activities can be a meaningful activity and that this participation can bring about a positive impact on subjective wellbeing.
The research furthermore looks into if and how an engagement with the distant past can evoke memories and connections to the personal past, which is particularly relevant in this context. Dementia deeply affects individuals, and both the syndrome and the way it is handled can strongly influence and at times compromise their personhood and identity, and the reinforcement of identity can positively impact the wellbeing of individuals. This research explores whether an engagement with authentic archaeological artefacts can provide links to the personal past and facilitate reminiscence.
During this research, an activity program was developed and tested in collaboration with Archeoles to look further into the impact on wellbeing arising from contact with authentic archaeological artefacts and taking part in archaeological practices such as excavation. This approach was tested during January and February 2016 in a daycare facility for people with dementia in the Netherlands.
The results are yet to be published.