Paper short abstract:

Cave environments are often perceived as containers from which knowledge is extracted. This perspective affects the way caves are researched and regulated, and how we interact with them. What changes can an Anthro-Materiality affect when put in conversation with the idea of nature as resource?

Paper long abstract:

Tucked away from the rest of the world, cave environments are often seen as worth managing or preserving because of the information they contain about our past, present and future. This perception of caves as knowledge resources tends to have an impact on how cave policy and research is developed and enacted, and informs everything from how we are supposed to interact with caves to who is allowed to have a say in what they become. Drawing on examples from my research with caving communities, I will explore how looking at the relationship between people and caves through a materiality lens can offer insights that have practical implications on how we relate to these environments. I will explore the questions: What may an Anthro-Materiality of people and caves look like? What changes can this perspective affect when put in conversation with knowledge systems that regulate cave environments as resources? And why does it matter?