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The Russian estate is a characteristic phenomenon of Russian culture, which had a significant impact on the images of Russia and the formation of its cultural landscape. At the same time, this cultural phenomenon is not yet represented in the World Heritage List for Russia. The article reveals the main values of Leo Tolstoy’s estate Yasnaya Polyana, which are of universal importance; presents interconnectedness and interdependence of its natural and cultural characteristics. It is stated, that the territorial complex of Leo Tolstoy’s estate Yasnaya Polyana fully complies with the UNESCO criteria for assigning objects to the of World Heritage.

The cemetery of the royal family, who ruled Egypt from 1805 to 1952, is one of the masterpieces of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Historic Cairo. It is a complex building from massive stone masonry walls supporting hemispherical domes and is very rich with the marble decorative elements. Unfortunately, it suffers nowadays from serious cracking due to on-going structural damage. Almost all the structural elements are cracked. Besides, the continuous rise in the groundwater table affects both its structural stability and aesthetics. A detailed inspection was carried out to identify and explain all the manifested damage by the structural elements of the cemetery. The differential settlement damage was found to be very noticeable in the form of many diagonal cracks that are active and threaten the overall stability of the cemetery. The construction history was investigated and found to have a clear effect on the noticed damage. Examination of the construction materials and deterioration products was carried out by inspecting representative samples of the stone, the marble, the mortar, the plaster and the salt. They were examined using different analysis techniques including the Polarized Microscope, the Stereo Microscope, the X-Ray Diffraction (XRD), and the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) provided with Energy-Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) unit. This examination helped in identifying the type of the used stone, the mortar components, the types of salts affecting the structure, and the deterioration manifested by the marble. It seems that the cemetery needs an urgent conservation project to stop the deterioration and keep it safe for the next generations.

Tras la exposición de los objetivos y metodología, se realiza un comentario sobre la preservación del patrimonio en España, en particular de El Retiro, así como de la reciente presentación de la candidatura “Paseo del Prado y el Retiro. Paisaje de las Artes y las Ciencias” a la lista del Patrimonio Mundial de la UNESCO. La evolución de El Retiro ha ido de la mano de su desarrollo como Real Sitio. La descripción de su patrimonio permite conocer detalles de su historia hasta la actualidad, que ha configurado un magnífico entorno de gran exotismo en el corazón de Madrid. El análisis de los recursos y de la actividad turística y cultural que soporta, junto con los resultados de una encuesta realizada a los visitantes, evidencian su gran aceptación por parte de residentes y turistas; también la existencia de problemas en la gestión e información dirigida al público, que respectivamente repercuten en el mantenimiento y aprovechamiento de este espacio singular. After outlining the objectives, methodology and making brief allusion to concepts and laws in relation to the preservation of heritage in Spain, and the recent presentation of the candidacy “Paseo del Prado y el Retiro. Landscape of the Arts and Sciences” to the UNESCO World Heritage list, the article goes on to give a brief historical description of the evolution of the Retiro Park, since its origins, as a highly exotic Royalty Site in the heart of Madrid. An analysis of the park’sresources and the tourist and cultural activity offered in El Retiro is given together with the results of a survey carried out among visitors, showing the great acceptance of the site by residents and tourists alike but also highlighting the existence of certain management and information problems iwhich respectively affect the maintenance and use of this unique space.

La dimensión social del valor se ha convertido en una piedra angular del debate sobre conservación, gestión y sostenibilidad turísticas en relación al patrimonio cultural. El presente artículo examina el papel del valor social en la gestión patrimonial y promoción turística a través del caso de la Cueva de Altamira como lugar Patrimonio de la Humanidad UNESCO mediante el análisis de las perspectivas de colectivos no expertos en la gestión del patrimonio. Para ello, se realizaron dos encuestas, una dirigida a visitantes (1047 cuestionarios válidos), y otra a la población española como comunidad anfitriona (1000 cuestionarios válidos). Los resultados muestran cómo estos agentes interpretan el valor de existencia, estético, económico y de legado de formas divergentes a la de los expertos, profundizando en la compleja relación entre la promoción y preservación patrimonial, y ampliando el debate sobre cómo el valor social puede contribuir a fortalecer la imagen internacional y nacional de los destinos patrimoniales ante el futuro incierto del mercado turístico global.

Journal of cultural heritage 47, 199-207 (2021). doi:10.1016/j.culher.2020.08.002, Published by Elsevier Science, Amsterdam [u.a.]

El objeto de este artículo es el análisis comparado de la consideración de los paisajes culturales agrarios por la Convención del Patrimonio Mundial Cultural y Natural de la UNESCO y el programa SIPAM de la FAO; desde la perspectiva de la gestión para su preservación, legado y fomento. Tras una aproximación epistemológica y normativa, el análisis se centra en las áreas españolas incluidas en ambos registros. Las fuentes son los expedientes disponibles en la web del Centro de Patrimonio Mundial de la UNESCO y en el portal SIPAM de la FAO. Su análisis detallado permite la identificación y caracterización agropatrimonial de esos paisajes y adentrarse en sus prospectivas. La indagación sobre las diferencias y complementariedades de ambos programas lleva a concluir que enfrentan grandes dificultades para hacer frente a la desagrarización de los bienes concernidos, con la consecuente pérdida de autenticidad patrimonial de los mismos. También se colige en la ineludible búsqueda de sus sinergias y se proponen algunas vías para explorarlas., The purpose of this article is to perform a comparative analysis of the way that agricultural cultural landscapes are considered in the UNESCO Convention concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage and the FAO GIAHS program from the perspective of their management for their preservation, legacy, and advancement. An epistemological and normative approach is followed by an analysis that focuses on the Spanish places inscribed on the lists of these two international instruments. The sources are the files available on the UNESCO World Heritage Center website and the FAO GIAHS portal. Their detailed analysis enables the identification and characterization of the agro-heritage dimension of these landscapes and an in-depth examination of their prospects. A close inspection of the two programs’ differences and complementarities enables the conclusion that they face serious difficulties for dealing with the declining role of agriculture in the concerned properties and the consequent associated loss of heritage authenticity. The inevitable search for synergies between the two programs is also endorsed with a proposal for some ways for these to be explored.

In the castle of Traismauer, a picturesque city in the heart of Lower Austria at the mouth of the river Traisen into the Danube, the new exhibition ‘Treasures of Traismauer’ (’Traismaurer Schätze’) opened recently. Traismauer, ancient ‘Augustianis,’ was one of several Roman forts along the right bank of the Danube. With a chain of defensive buildings and the connecting Limes road, the Romans secured their northern border. Outstanding remains of this place are preserved to this day and were recently declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The exhibition presents the visitors with a holistic picture of the Roman settlement, showing well-known and several recent archaeological discoveries from Traismauer’s Roman period, researched by commercial archaeologists from companies like ARDIG and the Bundesdenkmalamt (Austrian Federal Monuments Authority). But not only ‘treasures’ from Roman times can be visited in the rooms of Traismauer Castle. Dedicated Traismauer residents have searched for traces through the city and tracked down patterns on houses, squares, and nature. Furthermore, contemporary program booklets, original music scores by great composers such as Strauss and Ziehrer, and many other treasures that make the hearts of music lovers beat faster are on display., Hosted by the municipality of Traismauer (Stadtgemeinde Traismauer). Media owner and publisher: Municipality of Traismauer; concept & implementation of the advertising line: Tourismusinfo Traismauer & Patrizia Burger-Diallo; text templates: Susanne Hawlik, Dominik Hagmann, Gotthard Klaus, Walter Schwanzer; printing: Phils Druckstudio, 3133 Traismauer; photo credits: ARDIG - Archäologischer Dienst GesmbH, Gotthard Klaus, Verena Saloukeh, Vienna International Operetta Society (WIOG), WeinArtZone

The islands in the Gotō region off Kyushu Island were refuges, mountains providing both terraces for growing potatoes and rice; and hideaways for clandestine religious practices; seas and bays providing fish and seaweed. Religious refugees arrived here in the 18th and 19th centuries, but had to contend with a harsh winter climate, the strong prejudices of indigenous inhabitants, and the long arms of the Nagasaki magistrate. This article locates a migrant people known variously as the senpuku, the kakure, kirishitan, or Hidden Christians (HC), and their descendants who acknowledge the natural world’s imprint on them: their characteristics and cultural heritage are shaped by the interstitial spaces of the islands in which they subside(d). World Heritage Cultural listings in 2018 included sites on the islands and were rightly acclaimed. Yet, here, as in other places, the World Heritage campaign was at times driven by shallow motivations reflecting exotic and unfounded prejudices and tourist-related economic aspirations. Even in the nomenclature, the World Heritage listing mentions the HC, but this group of people are not singular, and require more careful definition. This article seeks to demonstrate how by examining new sources of oral history, we stand to enrich our knowledge by a ‘deep’ engagement, taking account of both human and non-human processes, practices and awareness of place. Secondly, by focusing on this region we may re-orient our understanding of Japanese and East Asian History in a wider context than often understood, and inclusive of this coastal and marginal place. An analysis four of the sites of World Heritage ascribed by UNESCO on the Gotō Archipelago off Nagasaki Prefecture Japan alongside the historic documents and supported by oral history reveals a religious cultural hybridity integrated into a severe environment.

Em 22 de junho de 2013, era acrescentado mais um episódio à história secular da Universidade de Coimbra (UC): a inscrição do bem Universidade de Coimbra – Alta e Sofia na Lista do Património Mundial da UNESCO. O propósito deste artigo constitui-se em aprofundar alguns princípios que delinearam o processo da UC a Património Mundial, tendo em conta o contributo e influência de alguns dos seus protagonistas político-conceptuais, teóricos e decisores. Para tal, terá contribuído o pensamento e o trabalho desenvolvido por dois gabinetes, constituídos como Projetos Especiais da Reitoria, em março e em outubro de 2004, o Gabinete Paço das Escolas e o Gabinete de Candidatura à UNESCO, para desenvolver o processo de candidatura. Recorrendo, sobretudo a pesquisa e revisão documental e bibliográfica, este trabalho articula os testemunhos desses protagonistas, pelo papel fundamental que tiveram ao longo do processo, sob várias perspetivas.

As a child I used to regularly visit New Lanark, a UNESCO world heritage site just south of Glasgow, where I grew up. It was, and still is, a remarkable place that has been carefully preserved to show what conditions were like for workers during the ‘Dark Satanic Mills’ era of the industrial revolution. New Lanark’s significance lies in the utopian philosophy of the owner, Robert Owen, who in 1799 introduced a then unprecedented raft of measures to educate and enhance the social welfare of employees and their families: a significant innovation at a time when children as young as five were expected to work long hours in dangerous and dirty factories.

In het sluitstuk van diverse bijdragen in dit nummer over authenticiteit wordt de vraag gesteld of authenticiteit als begrip geloofwaardig is. Dit gebeurt aan de hand van de betekenis die authenticiteit heeft voor monumenten op de UNESCO Werelderfgoedlijst. Monumenten met het predikaat werelderfgoed hebben volgens de Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention van UNESCO ‘Outstanding Universal Values’ (OUV). Tevens beantwoorden ze aan de eis van integriteit en authenticiteit, in ieder geval waar het cultureel erfgoed betreft. In navolging van The Nara Document on Authenticity (1994), en rekening houdend met de mondiale culturele diversiteit, kan de authenticiteit gebaseerd zijn op een grote variëteit aan eigenschappen. Twee Nederlandse werelderfgoedmonumenten, het Rietveld Schröderhuis (1924) en de Van Nellefabriek (1925-1931), behoren tot de architectuur van de Moderne Beweging. In de nominatiedossiers van deze twee monumenten wordt authenticiteit verschillend beargumenteerd. In beide gevallen is, zoals bij monumenten uit de Moderne Beweging zeer gangbaar is geworden, de ‘ontwerpauthenticiteit’ echter van groot belang. Is het begrip authenticiteit dan zodanig verbreed dat het uiteindelijk willekeurig wordt toegepast? Volgens de auteur kan authenticiteit zeker een kwaliteitskenmerk zijn, als er maar binnen de eigen culturele context een duidelijke en geloofwaardige definitie wordt gehanteerd.

Heritage protection is in a period of transformation, which involves, among other things, increasing the influence of stakeholders on heritage protection, management and use. The need for such a modification was formulated in international documents - the Faro Convention (Council of Europe) and the HUL Recommendation (General Assembly of UNESCO), which should be implemented by the states - parties to these organizations. The task of the conservation community is to adapt the theory and practice of heritage protection to these changes. The implementation of the new approach in heritage protection will be a long-term process. The area where changes will quickly take place is the protection of historical cities. Three processes will have to be taken into account in the old town complexes: protection, use, and transformation. Monument conservators will have to develop tools to coordinate and control these processes. The management of UNESCO World Heritage Sites is a testing ground for these activities.

Stale postępujący, nieodwracalny proces niszczenia materialnego dziedzictwa kulturowego skłania nas do zadania pytania, co można zrobić, aby zmniejszyć konsekwencje jego skutków.Katastrofy, takie jak niedawno zniszczona przez pożar katedra Notre-Dame, uświadamiają nam jak realne jest zagrożenie utratą.Artykuł wskazuje na rolę zaawansowanej technologicznie dokumentacji opartej na metodzie skanowania laserowego i możliwości tworzenia wizualizacji tj. modeli 3D uzyskanych z przetworzonej chmury punktów.Metoda laserowego skanowania 3D oferuje możliwość opracowania naukowych danych nie tylko dla społeczności naukowej, ale również tworzenia aplikacji, służących szerokiemu upowszechnianiu wiedzy o zabytkach. Wizualizacje uzyskane z chmury punktów można udostępniać odbiorcom na całym świecie za pomocą platform internetowych.Zabytkiem wybranym do przeprowadzenia modelowego skanowania laserowego był średniowieczny, drewniany kościół pw. Wniebowzięcia NMP i św. Michała Archanioła w Haczowie. Świątynia znajduje się na Liście Światowego Dziedzictwa UNESCO, co potwierdza uznanie jej wartości w skali globalnej.

The 2015 Gorkha earthquake damaged many unreinforced masonry buildings in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Kathmandu Valley, such as Kathmandu, Patan, and Bhaktapur. But there were a few multi-ti...

The ancient ksar of Chinguetti was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. It is located in West Africa, on one of the most important caravan trading routes, in use from the eighth century until the beginning of the twentieth century. The trans-Sahara traffic – mainly based on products such as salt, gold and ivory – also fostered cultural development along the route. As commercial, cultural and religious contacts were established over the centuries, manuscripts were constantly being written, copied, carried, bought and sold. Following a failed attempt to build a museum to house Chinguetti’s most important manuscripts in 2000, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) decided to restore every traditional library within the ksar, the actual places where the ancient manuscripts have been kept for generations. Terrachidia NGO has spearheaded the Libraries Preservation Project, using traditional building techniques and local materials and labour to carry out these restorations.

Since the early twentieth century, and particularly since the establishment of the UNESCO World Heritage system, the vocabulary of heritage has expanded tremendously. Today a scientific language of conservation reaches into every corner of the world. Yet, it would be misleading to assume that this heritage idiom is absorbed everywhere in the same way, without local modifications. Focusing on the Malaysian national heritage project, this article explores the interaction between transnational and local terminologies. It first traces the official translation and vernacularization processes involved in the formulation of heritage conservation laws. Beyond the officially sanctioned vocabulary, however, there is a much more variegated heritage word stock that reflects multicultural Malaysian society. This article therefore examines the patrimonial vocabulary as encountered on the ground and alternative discourses to the national heritage project. The ways in which heritage is labelled and described in different contexts shed light on the varied worlds encompassed by the concept of heritage: from the conventional division between tangible and intangible heritage to intimate conceptualisations of familial, ancestral, and communal heritage as well as divergent ways of engaging with colonial legacies. Depuis le début du xxe siècle, et plus précisément depuis l’établissement du système du patrimoine mondial de l’UNESCO, le vocabulaire du patrimoine s’est largement répandu. Aujourd’hui, le langage scientifique de la conservation atteint tous les recoins de la planète. Pourtant, il serait fallacieux de supposer que ce jargon du patrimoine est reçu partout de la même façon, sans modifications locales. En examinant le projet pour un patrimoine national malaisien, cet article explore l’interaction entre les terminologies locales et transnationales. Dans un premier temps il retrace les processus de traduction officielle et de vernacularisation à l’œuvre dans la formulation des lois sur la préservation du patrimoine. Il examine comment, au-delà du vocabulaire établi officiellement, il existe un réservoir bien plus large et varié de mots qui rendent compte du multiculturalisme de la société malaisienne. Dans un second temps, l’article aborde le vocabulaire du patrimoine tel que nous l’avons rencontré sur le terrain, ainsi que les discours apparaissant comme autant d’alternatives au projet pour un patrimoine national. Les façons dont le patrimoine est nommé et décrit dans des contextes différents mettent au jour la variété des mondes englobés dans le concept de patrimoine : parmi ceux-ci, la division conventionnelle entre patrimoine tangible et intangible, les conceptualisations intimes du patrimoine familial, ancestral et communautaire, ainsi que les relations divergentes établies avec l’héritage colonial.

Research on tourism to Machu Picchu rarely addresses the ways in which transportation, particularly rail travel, is integral to a visit to the UNESCO world heritage site. Yet the majority of visitors to Machu Picchu arrive by train, making rail travel a crucial component to the way in which the site is understood and experienced. This article examines rail travel to Machu Picchu through archival research and ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Cuzco and at Machu Picchu to argue that rail travel capitalizes on historic and cultural imaginings of Machu Picchu as a lost city, transforming the tourist into an explorer in the process. The experience relies on vision and affect as the train acts a temporalizing machine, taking the tourist back in time to visit another world, perpetuating the myth of lost cities, discovery and dispossession in the process.

Angkor Wat in Cambodia is one of the most significant archaeological sites in the world inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also consistently rated as the top Global Landmark by travelers in TripAdvisor. This study employed big data analytics to examine visitor experience via sentiment and topic analysis, given the popularity and volume of visitors annually. The process involved an examination of 32,394 online reviews about Angkor Wat posted between January 2015 and October 2019 on Tripadvisor's website. The analysis was conducted for reviews with one, two, and three-star ratings, and those with four and five star ratings separately. Results showed highly skewed positive ratings, while similar positive sentiments dominated the reviews. Topic analysis disclosed that sunset and sunrise experience, attraction structure, guided tours, and temple experience were topics attributed mostly to positive sentiments. Conversely, crowding, persistent selling, clothing style, and expenses were illustrated as negative topics. Such insights are useful for managers at Angkor Wat to develop various marketing and management interventions to effectively manage the site and to optimize visitor experiences.

In the Galapagos, as elsewhere, tourism is promoted as a means of reconciling biodiversity conservation interests with the economic aspirations of local populations. However, the rapid expansion of...

Drawing from multisite ethnographic research conducted at four Canadian UNESCO World Heritage natural sites, this writing focuses on the geosocialities of fossils and argues that fossils are alive: vitalist matter capable of affecting and being affected by the geosocial meshworks in which they are entangled. In the present writing, these relations are explored through more-than-representational ethnographic fragments intended to enliven the geophilia of fossils by underscoring the way they are animated through affect, memory, performance, narrative, possibility, and imagination.

Tajima Yahei Sericulture Farm, one of the four components of the UNESCO World Heritage Site Tomioka Silk Mill and Related Sites inscribed in 2014, was the starting point for advancements in sericulture farmhouses, emphasizing the importance of ventilation. Through Yahei’s experimentation surrounding the ideal space to breed silkworms, a new sericulture theory was invented, and a sericulture farmhouse architecture was formed. For the purpose of preserving this cultural heritage for future generations, it is important to understand the idea that led to the cultural and industrial advancement of the village of Shimamura and to revise the preservation plans prepared by stakeholders. This paper will discuss the development of the sericulture theory, seiryō-iku theory, and the formation of a sericulture farmhouse architecture; describe the adaptation of former sericulture farmhouses and the surrounding landscapes in terms of the industry and environment; outline the plans and efforts for the preservation and revitalization of Tajima Yahei Sericulture Farm, its surrounding area and its underlying issues; and propose a direction for future preservation plans.

espanolEl Monasterio de Tholing es uno de los monumentos religiosos mas importantes del oeste del Tibet; sus murales muestran el mayor logro artistico de los tibetanos en el contexto cultural y estetico en los dos periodos diferentes de la historia tibetana. Este estudio presenta, en primer lugar, el contexto historico de este monumento, indicando su importancia en el desarrollo de la historia tibetana; en segundo lugar, el valor historico y artistico de los murales del Monasterio de Tholing. Se considera que este importante y valioso monumento debe contar con mayor atencion para su investigacion y preservacion; y ademas, que cumple con los requisitos correspondientes para ser incluido en la Lista de Patrimonio Mundial de la UNESCO. La informacion y promocion sobre este monumento beneficia la industria turistica de la zona. EnglishTholing Monastery is one of the most important religious monuments in western Tibet, and its murals showthe greatest artistic achievement of the Tibetans in the cultural and aesthetic context in the two different periodsof Tibetan history. This article first introduces the historical context of this monument, indicating its importancein the development of Tibetan history. Secondly, both the historical and artistic value of the murals of theTholing Monastery are explained and it is suggested that this monument deserves more attention in preservationand research, and should be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. Finally, it is considered that thetourist use of the Tholing Monasteries and its Buddhist frescoes could contribute in the future to promote thetourism industry in that area.

Maps and GIS used for the nomination and subsequent management of UNESCO World Heritage sites have primarily served bureaucratic resource management purposes. However, bureaucratic maps offer an opportunity to represent associative cultural landscapes, intangible cultural elements, and the geographies of Indigenous peoples. Indigenous toponyms can be found on many World Heritage maps for sites located within settler societies such as New Zealand, Australia, the United States, and Canada. Currently, bureaucratic heritage maps do not emphasize or even have a method for presenting the meaning and significance of Indigenous toponyms. Instead, the names are represented as static, inanimate objects void of meaning. This article presents archival evidence that bureaucratic state maps found within some UNESCO World Heritage nomination dossiers and resource management plans contain Indigenous cartographic elements that Indigenous communities could use as the basis for creating Indigital story maps.

PurposeThis study aims to explore the support and attitudes of the local community together with the benefits of living in the vicinity of George Town UNESCO World Heritage Site. George Town is one of the popular UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Malaysia.Design/methodology/approachA total of 319 respondents residing in the gazetted area of George Town World Heritage Sites were interviewed. The covariance-based structural equation modelling (CB-SEM) analysis was conducted to test the study’s hypotheses.FindingsThe community's attitudes and personal benefits were identified to strongly influence community’s support towards the conservation and development of the World Heritage Sites in George Town. While a small number of community members acknowledged the significant opportunities through tourism, majority of them expected economic and non-economic benefits from the development of World Heritage Sites.Practical implicationsThe findings from this study are expected to contribute to the ongoing debate on the perceived effects, benefits and future support of the World Heritage Sites from the local community's perspectives.Social implicationsUnderstanding the behaviour of the local community to create successful tourism planning, especially in delicate heritage destinations.Originality/valueThis study enriches the scarce empirical research study on community’s behaviour living in the vicinity of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, especially in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) region.

As an important step towards the conservation of valuable world heritage assets in Kathmandu, we performed Raman spectral studies on several valuable idols located in UNESCO World Heritage Sites for internal identification purposes. A spectrum of a stone idol in the Mohankali Chowk has a major band at 1093.5 cm-1 which may be identified as a C-O stretching vibration within the carbonate groups of CaCO3. The Raman spectra of a bull situated in the same Chowk has two major bands at the wavenumbers of 1812.7 and 3552.4 cm-1 which are assigned as combined vibrational modes of CO3 and hydroxyl stretching band, respectively. Similarly, the spectrum of a Shivalinga located at Pashupati Bankali has a major band at 467.7 cm-1. This band is formed by the movement of the oxygen atom in Si-O-Si, which is a symmetric stretching mode indicating the presence of crystalline silica (SiO2) in the Shivalinga. The Raman spectrum of Lord Changunarayan in Garuda located in the Changunarayan temple premises has a strong band at the wavenumber 462.6 cm-1, denoting the presence of quartz (SiO2).

The paper deals with the problem of the seismic stability of excavation fronts in the ancient Roman city of Pompeii, a famous UNESCO World heritage site near Napoli, Italy, buried under 4–6 m of volcanic ashes and pumices during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 AD. The attention is focused on the Insula dei Casti Amanti, a block of masonry buildings in the city centre partly excavated in recent years. Ground motion recorded on outcropping rock compatible with the seismo-tectonic background and the spectrum specified by the Italian code for the life-safety limit state criteria were used for wave propagation analysis. Both 1-D and 2-D Seismic Response Analyses were carried out to identify both surface (topographic) and valley (morphology) effects. This study allowed to quantify in a detailed manner the seismic demand in the excavation fronts. Re-profiling interventions based on the classical pseudo-static approach would be too invasive for the archaeological site. On the contrary, the alternative Newmark-type approach, based on the evaluation of the permanent rotations of the potentially unstable soil mass, is much more appropriate for a sustainable definition of slope stabilising interventions.

Among thousands of UNESCO World Heritage Sites around the world, three groups belong to the Republic of Armenia; Cathedral and Churches of Echmiatsin and the Archaeological Site of Zvartnots (2000), Monasteries of Haghpat and Sanahin (1996, 2000), and Monastery of Geghard and the Upper Azat Valley (2000). All of them are distinctive representatives of Armenian Apostolic Church. Their uniqueness lies in their historical origin (dating back to the 4th century), singular architectural style and their ability to provide spiritual support to Armenians from ancient times. Almost all of them are still used for their original (religious) purpose. Nevertheless, in some cases poor public visitation is observed. Being the first example of this kind of research in Armenia, the objective of this study is to analyse and make a diagnosis of the current condition of the sites regarding the public visitation and tourism uses, as well as to propose heritage enhancement tools to improve the physical and intellectual access to them. The methodology includes the combination of observational fieldwork, revision of scientific bibliography, as well as preparation of a complete heritage inventory of these sites. Assessments are performed both from the tourism point of view and for the intrinsic values of these monuments, following technical criteria. The results of this study attest to the tourism potential of those churches. Particularly, the Monastery of Geghard and the Cathedral of Echmiatsin are unique and of significant importance due to their accessibility, good conservation conditions and attractiveness.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites (WHS) are known to add value to destinations. While the diverse impacts of WHS status have been investigated in relation to sustainable tourism development in various co...

Since Decision 29 COM 7B.a of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 2005, the World Heritage Centre and the Advisory Bodies have been tackling the threats posed by climate change to cultural and n...

After the cleaning procedures carried out during a recent restoration work, the Matera Cathedral's (UNESCO World Heritage Site) facade needed the application of a water repellent treatment. Aqueous emulsions of silanes/siloxanes, also in a mixture with acrylic polymer and an alkyl/alkoxysilanic resin (by BEL CHIMICA S.r.l. and PHASE restauro S.r.l), have been tested as representative of the most used formulations in the restoration of buildings in Italy, especially in the last decade. This paper focuses on the best practices to be adopted for the identification of the suitable protective product in terms of effectiveness, harmfulness and durability, in particular respect to photo-aging and thermo-hygrometrical aging. The conservation materials have been testedin situand in laboratory on a stone block expressly extracted from the monument. The chemical composition of the products and their degradation processes were characterized by means of FT-IR and PY-GC-MS. The performance of the treatments was evaluated, both in laboratory by permeability, color and capillarity measurements and in situ by non-destructive techniques (IR reflectance spectroscopy, color measurements, water absorption tests by contact sponge). Silane/siloxane emulsion presented more pronounced degradation phenomena after artificial aging, while the mixture of silanes/siloxanes and acrylic polymers decreased the permeability to water vapour.

A skeleton named Iuzu has been unearthed from an exceptional middle Holocene burial in Toca dos Coqueiros site, in Serra da Capivara National Park (UNESCO World Heritage Site, Piaui State, Brazil). During a bioarchaeological analysis of its remains, we discovered that Iuzu was suffering from rare vertebral malformations. A double foramen transversaria, the agenesis of a foramen on the atlas and the hypoplasia of the transverse process of the axis have been highlighted. We aimed to deduce the clinical consequences of the malformation on the patient's health. We proceeded to macroscopic observation and radiography of the bones, then we search for other examples of such a pathology in archaeological litterature. The malformation caused vascular insufficiency that may have led to neurological lesions leading to various pains and troubles. The very rare malformations Iuzu presented have not been found on a paleoindian skeleton from South America so far. This case allowed us to examine the conditions of selection of individuals buried in southern Piaui during the Middle Holocene, during which time this rite does not seem to predominate.

The monastery of St. John in Müstair, a UNESCO world heritage site, preserves archaeological remains and stone structures dated from the 8th century to the present. It has been extensively studied archaeologically so that numerous samples of historical materials, including mortar, are available for study. In addition to that, some of the structures have been precisely dated with dendrochronology. The monastery is located in a region characterized by dolomite rocks and the mortars are therefore of dolomitic nature, being perfectly suited to test the possibility of being dated with 14C. Furthermore, the presence of embedded carbon fragments has provided additional independent data to support or deny the results of mortar dating. A comparison of the results obtained from radiocarbon (14C) dating of bulk mortars, sieved fractions enriched in binder, lime lumps and carbon fragments, for two samples is presented, in relation to the petrographic characterization and the mineralogical phase content. This preliminary study shows that the dating of 14C can potentially be applied to the mortar of Müstair, as results in accordance with the established chronologies have been obtained for one sample. However, if the dolomitic sand contamination is very high, further studies are needed to develop a specific sample preparation technique.

PurposeThe adoption of building information modelling (BIM) in managing built heritage is an exciting prospect, but one that presents complexities additional to those of modern buildings. If challenges can be identified and overcome, the adoption of historic BIM (HBIM) could offer efficiencies in how heritage buildings are managed.Design/methodology/approachUsing Durham Cathedral as a case study, we present the workflows applied to create an asset information model to improve the way this unique UNESCO World Heritage Site is managed, and in doing so, set out the challenges and complexities in achieving an HBIM solution.FindingsThis study identifies the need for a better understanding of the distinct needs and context for managing historic assets, and the need for heritage information requirements (HIR) that reflect this.Originality/valueThis study presents first-hand findings based on a unique application of BIM at Durham Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The study provides a better understanding of the challenges and drivers of HBIM adoption across the heritage sector and underlines the need for information requirements that are unique to historical buildings/assets to deliver a coherent and relevant HBIM approach.

This article, based on long-term ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Luang Prabang, Laos, since 2006, expands the analysis of the conflicts and divergent interpretations regarding non-Western UNESC...

The earthquakes in 2015 brought Nepal to the centre of attention of the global heritage community. At the Patan Durbar Square and Royal Palace – part of the Kathmandu Valley’s UNESCO World Heritage...