Playing make-believe with history is a risky business


ONE of the mind-broadening possibilities of travel is a visit to a historical site or ancient building. Gleaning something of a region's past can be educational and inspirational, and tourists visit such places in droves.


That's why heritage tourism is big business. But squaring sightseeing with history can be tricky: the managers of such sites often have to tread a line between presenting complicated truths and spinning tourist-friendly yarns.


Most do it well. But sometimes the lure of money skews the balance too far. Perhaps the worst example is in Honduras, where actual history has been sidelined in favour of a slim connection to the more bankable Maya civilisation (see "Land of make-believe: Fake archaeology in paradise").


That may seem a forgivable instance of not letting the facts get in the way of a good story. But it can also be seen as only a shade removed from denying history, with all the attendant concerns that raises. Myth-making about the past can foster the marginalisation of indigenous or minority populations.


Make-believe is fun; that's why Disneyland exists. But it would be nice to think that if you visit the real world, you get real history.


This article appeared in print under the headline "Histories, not stories"


Issue 2950 of New Scientist magazine


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