5 richon
TRANSCRIPT
The World Heritage Convention (1972) and the Concept of
Cultural Landscape
Bibracte - France
21-23 March 2016
Marielle Richon
Article 1
« Sites = works of man or the combined works of nature and man, and areas including archaeological sites which are of outstanding universal value from the historical, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological point of view. »
« Mixed » World Heritage Properties
« Satisfy a part or the whole of the definitionsof both cultural and natural »
« Cultural no longer the opposite of naturalnor is it synonymous with human made »
1+1 = 2 basis
A Short History
80s – Cultural Heritage:
- Monumental
- Christian
- Elitist
- European / Western
A Short History
80s – Natural heritage:
- Imposing natural sites
- National Parks
- Habitats of endangered species
A Short History
1992
• Rio « Earth Summit » (Convention on BiologicalDiversity - (CBD)
• 20th anniversary of the WH Convention
• Experts Meeting – La Petite Pierre (France)
A Short History
1992 - A new category of WH properties: Cultural Landscapes
• A better balance between nature & culture sought
• Awareness of interactions between man and nature
• In 1992 the World Heritage Convention became the first international legal instrument to recognize and protect cultural landscapes
Definition
Operational Guidelines (2015)
« Annex 3
Cultural landscapes are cultural properties and represent the "combined works of nature and of man" designated in Article 1 of the Convention. They are illustrative of the evolution of human society and settlement over time, under the influence of the physical constraints and/or opportunities presented by their natural environment and of successive social, economic and cultural forces, both external and internal. »
The term "cultural landscape" embraces adiversity of manifestations of the interactionbetween humankind and its naturalenvironment. Cultural landscapes often reflectspecific techniques of sustainable land-use,considering the characteristics and limits of thenatural environment they are established in, anda specific spiritual relation to nature.
The protection of cultural landscapes cancontribute to modern techniques ofsustainable land-use and can maintain orenhance natural values in the landscape. Thecontinued existence of traditional forms ofland-use supports biological diversity in manyregions of the world. The protection oftraditional cultural landscapes is thereforehelpful in maintaining biological diversity.
Creating the Cultural LandscapeCategory : the intention
To allow cultures whose heritage lay in non-monumental things, such as sacred places inthe natural world, to gain a foothold on thenationalistically lop-sided List. It also hopedthereby to move towards another of its goals,a more even geographical distribution ofWorld Heritage sites.
Creating the Cultural LandscapeCategory : the intention
To be able to inscribe the sort of heritage conceptually impossible to inscribe before the advent of the cultural landscape concept
3 Categories of cultural landscapes
1. Clearly defined landscape designed and created intentionally by man (gardens)
2. Organically evolved landscape
- a relict (or fossil) landscape
- continuing landscape (vine-growing, rice-growing, etc.)
3. Associative cultural landscape - powerful religious, artistic or cultural associations of the natural element
1. Created intentionally by man
Created intentionally by man
“Clearly defined landscape designed and created intentionally by man. This embraces garden and parkland landscapes constructed for aesthetic reasons which are often (but not always) associated with religious or other monumental buildings and ensembles”
1. Created intentionally by man
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew ( United Kingdom)(2003)(ii) (iii) (iv)
1. Created intentionally by man
The Persian Garden (Iran, Islamic Republic of) (2011) (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (vi)
1. Created intentionally by man
Palace and Park of Versailles(France) (1979) (i) (ii) (vi)
2. Organically Evolved Landscapes2.1 Relict Cultural Landscapes
2. Organically Evolved Landscapes2.1 Relict Cultural Landscapes
One in which an evolutionary process came to an end at some time in the past, either abruptly or over a period. Its significant distinguishing features are, however, still visible in material form.
2.1 Relict Cultural Landscapes
Bam and its Cultural Landscape (Iran, Islamic Republic of) (2004) (ii) (iii) (iv) (v)
2.1 Relict Cultural Landscapes
BlaenavonIndustrialLandscape(United Kingdom) (2000)(iii) (iv)
2.1 Relict Cultural Landscapes
Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley (Afghanistan) (2003) (i) (ii) (iii) (iv) (vi)
2.1 Relict Cultural Landscapes
Quebrada de Humahuaca (Argentina) (2003) (ii) (iv) (v)
2.1 Relict Cultural Landscapes
Vat Phou and Associated Ancient Settlements within the ChampasakCultural Landscape (Lao People’s Democratic Republic) (2001) (iii) (iv) (vi)
2.1. Relict Cultural Landscapes
Le Morne Cultural Landscape (Mauritius) ( 2011) (iii) (vi)
2. Organically Evolved Landscapes2.2 Continuing Landscapes
2. Organically Evolved Landscapes2.2 Continuing Landscapes
One which retains an active social role in contemporary society closely associated with the traditional way of life, and in which the evolutionary process is still in progress. At the same time it exhibits significant material evidence of its evolution over time.
2.2 Continuing Cultural Landscapes
Viñales Valley (Cuba) (1999) (iv)
2.2 Continuing Cultural Landscapes
Sukur Cultural Landscape (Nigeria) (1999) (iii) (v) (vi)
2.2 Continuing Cultural Landscapes
Lavaux, Vineyard Terraces (Switzerland) (2007) (iii) (iv) (v)
2.2 Continuing Cultural Landscapes
Agave Landscape and Ancient Industrial Facilities of Tequila(Mexico)(2006)(ii) (iv) (v) (vi)
- Visually dramatic, hectares of rice-growing terraces watered by a sophisticated irrigation system are the basis of a regional economy in a beautiful natural setting where trees and plants provide holy places and deities.
- Working, agricultural landscape
2.2. ContinuingCulturalLandscapes
Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras (The Philippines)(1995) (iii) (iv) (v)
3. Associative Cultural Landscapes
3. Associative Cultural Landscapes
The inclusion of such landscapes on the World Heritage List is justifiable by virtue of the powerful religious, artistic or cultural associations of the natural element rather than material cultural evidence, which may be insignificant or even absent.
3. Associative Cultural
Landscapes
Tongariro National Park(New Zealand)(1990) (vi) (vii) (viii)
3. Associative Cultural Landscapes
Koutammakou, the Land of the Batammariba (Togo) (2004) (v) (vi)
3. Associative Cultural Landscapes
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park(Australia)(1987) (v) (vi) (vii) (viii)
‘A cultural landscape is a memorial to the unknown labourer’
Anonymity and often unselfconsciousness involved in the creation of a distinctive landscape
Management
• maintain values justifying the WH inscription
• a process which began well before a nomination for World Heritage inscription was submitted
Evaluation of Cultural Landscapes Category
Clearly demonstrates :
- the close interdependence betweencommunities and cultural landscapes
- the vulnerability : if the physical or social structure collapses, the whole cultural landscape and its related eco-system collapses
Perspectives
- Since 1992, 92 properties inscribed on the World Heritage List as Cultural Landscapes (48 in Europe/NA = 52%)
- Many properties inscribed prior to 1992 could also be considered as cultural landscapes
Relict Cultural Landscape?
Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites (United Kingdom) (1986) (i) (ii) (iii)
Relict Cultural Landscape?
Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu (Peru) (1983) (i) (iii) (vii) (ix)
Relict Cultural Landscape?
Angkor (Cambodia) (1992) (i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
Conclusion
- ‘The Earth does not belong to man. Man belongs to the Earth’ (Chief Seattle, 1851)
- ‘These sacred mountains are to be owned by no-one and yet are for everyone’ (Paramount Chief Tuwharetoa of Tongariro, 1997,
- That is what World Heritage cultural landscapes are about.
Relict Cultural Landscape