My friend Ivo says that the Portuguese today have nothing to keep them together. No political movement or cultural expression that helps them identify themselves as a people. Hence, they desperately cling on to every scrap from their past.
Ivo was trying to problematize the naturalized assumptions on conservation of archaeological sites. He questioned the undue stress on preservation at the expense of means of livelihood. According to him, when it comes to a balance of interests the ‘heritage managers’ of Portugal clearly have their priorities wrong.