| abstract | In Colombia, "Archaeological Heritage" is called the set of materialities whose approach from Archeology, and other related disciplines, allows us to understand the sociocultural trajectories of past human groups (Law 1185 of 2008). This technical definition implies that, like few others, the official assessment of this type of heritage is subject, in principle, to its potential to be studied and understood through scientific methods. However, many of these materials have also been valued, even for centuries, for other attributed qualities, such as sacred objects, "treasures" or "guacas", pieces of art, tourist attractions, etc. This multiplicity of assessments shows that, beyond the normative and scientific, they constitute important cultural references for a very broad and diverse spectrum of sectors and communities in the present. Despite this, the relationship between the frightening of society and this heritage is still far from harmonious, in the sense that it continues to be prey to decontextualization, illegal commercialization, disruption or destruction, and tensions between various sectors that bid for its possession, usufruct or control of its management and significance. |