“Not important but not useless” – Public attitudes to archaeology in urban and rural Mongolia

In the post-Socialist era, Mongolia has forged a national identity grounded in narratives of nomadism, empire, and historic ties with Asia and the wider world. There is a tension within Mongolian archaeology: while recent investments in heritage have delivered a new National Museum, UNESCO World Heritage Sites nominations, and a growing media focus on archaeology, that same heritage has come under threat from the climate crisis, rapid urbanisation and the growth of extractive industries. 

This tension is rooted in part in enduring and incorrect assumption amongst heritage professionals that Mongolian audiences "do not care about their heritage". To establish a frame of reference for understanding these audiences, this paper presents the results of a comparative study of public attitudes to the many, occasionally conflicting narratives of the past encountered across the Mongolian urban/rural divide. It argues that urban and rural communities make up two, very different audiences: while people in the cities are after a symbol of communal identity, rural communities do not identify with the national discourse presented by archaeologists and museums, instead looking to connect with heritage on a personal or practical level. This paper reflects on how learnings from this study can inform future public engagement practices, for a more impactful, locally relevant public archaeology in Mongolia.