Standing on the horizon: Analyzing best practices in community engagement strategies pertaining archaeology and intangible heritage between Italy and Ecuador.

When considering participatory approaches to cultural heritage, community archaeology and eco-museums are amongst the options for communal engagement. While the former emphasizes site-specific collaboration in archaeological research, eco-museums can build from said methodology to include intangible heritage into its museography, extending its field of interest towards contemporary forms of local knowledge. In this regard, we propose an international case study overview and analysis focused on best practices regarding communal engagement that foster long-term collaboration between academic institutions, local population, and audiences. While both approaches presuppose financial and organizational challenges, especially in rural areas where continuous funding for museographic development is scarce, eco-museums predominantly in Europe stand out for their capacity for rural revitalization and sustainability. Likewise, community archaeology processes in Latin America offer new perspectives for fostering community participation in long-term research processes between scholars and local members knowledgeable in site-specific heritage and traditions. As such, we have selected two museums located in rural areas, each in Ecuador and Italy respectively, whose engagement strategies prioritize the participation of local communities in its museographic development and continuity. These museums are Museo Arqueologico de la Comunidad de Agua Blanca (Ecuador) and TrasiMemo: Banca della Memoria del Lago Trasimeno (Italy). By exploring two populations in areas where archaeological digs and extensive work on intangible heritage have become a leading source of interest, we sought to individualize innovative practices that place the local community’s knowledge and wellbeing at the center of its development. This analysis offers transversal perspectives for strengthening the preservation of living heritage as well as archaeology by integrating successful lessons from eco-museums into community archaeology and vice versa. Comparatively, community archaeology can benefit from the structure and resources of eco-museums, promoting participatory management and a holistic understanding of heritage that encompasses contemporary forms of art, craftsmanship and local tradition.