Nature meets aesthetics on cultural grounds: a multidisciplinary study of grave mounds in Norway

Abstract

Grave mounds are landscape features of interest and value for various scientific fields. Their informational value for archaeologists is indisputable, their visual as well as cultural features are emphasized by landscape ecologists and landscape architects, and biologists have found them to be rich in biodiversity. How the different values are intertwined and how they could be integrated in the management of grave mounds has received little attention. The multiple values of grave mounds and their possible integration in grave-mound management is the focus of the study described in this paper. The paper discusses how the different aspects of grave mounds can be combined in a multidisciplinary study combining cultural, visual and biodiversity aspects and values, which are traditionally approached from different academic disciplines. The advantages and challenges of the multidisciplinary approach are discussed. The study aims at contributing to the development of landscape management tools able to encompass the complex characteristics and values of grave mounds in Norway