Culture in Peril

What is a collection, and what is meant by collecting?

2011-01-14T21:06:00.000-05:00

As a child I had all sorts of collections: stamps, keychains, milk caps ("pogs"), coins, and ice hockey pucks. As an adult I still have all sorts of collections: rocks and minerals, photographs, books, and museum maps. And sure enough, as I get older, I will likely amass new collections with as much enthusiasm and passion as in my youth. In many ways, these various collections represent fleeting interests or a fixation with some popular object of the time. Perhaps a few of my former collections were only marginally related to my interests -- I was awful at Yo-Yos and hated them, yet I owned no fewer than a dozen -- however, the fact that I maintained and stored them so intently signifies their powerful hold on me. The more I had of an object, the better the collection. It was as if I collected these "things" so that others could appreciate them for me. To all the collectors out there, I know you understand this feeling, too!

Specimens from my rock and mineral collection
(Photo: Nicholas Merkelson)

Assembling, preserving, and displaying objects -- the method of collecting, if you will -- is somewhat of a basic human activity. We collect multiple varied objects with the intention of forming "a collection," a specific series of items deemed important because of their assemblage in a group. It is their accumulation as a whole set rather than a single object's individualized use-value that makes a collection. In contrast to compulsive hoarding, collecting is a totally self-aware activity, a conscious performance of human-object relations played out by the collector and his/her collection.

Collections and the act of collecting is not homogenous, though; there are different motivations for gathering and arranging. No two collections are exactly the same either, as each one was put together with unique perspectives and processes. For this reason, even where there are noticeable gaps and empty spaces, every collection should be seen as constituting its own meaningful whole. From the Library of Alexandria to the shoebox of trading cards under the bed, collections are created for any number of reasons. Here are just a few (please submit others!):

1) Collections are repositories of knowledge and ideas.

2) Collections celebrate the objects and evidence of their creation.

3) Collections allow us to make sense of our world.

4) Collections map our social world, e.g. we visit, we trade, we purchase.

5) Collections help identify ourselves and our worth in relation to others.

6) Collections represent the Public/nation-states.

7) Collections contextualize our place in time and space.

An article ("Down the Hatch and Straight Into Medical History," January 10) published in the New York Times Health section brilliantly captures the (sometimes) idiosyncratic nature of collecting. Dr. Chevalier Jackson, a laryngologist who worked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, specialized in removing objects that people had swallowed or inhaled. Operating with little or no anesthesia, Jackson rescued from his patients' upper torsos nails and bolts, miniature binoculars, a toy goat, a beaded crucifix, and countless safety pins, among other unusual objects. Despite many surgery-related deaths in those days, it is believed that Jackson's patients had a 95% survival rate. Jackson might otherwise be lost to history if not for his curious collection of over 2,000 objects he removed from patients, and soon to be on exhibit (February 18) at the Mutter Museum of the College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

Mary Cappello, co-curator of the exhibit, discusses Jackson's peculiar obsession in her book, Swallow. She says, "He was a fetishist, no question. If Jackson could tell us how he wished to be remembered, I'm certain he would do so by assemblage, or meaningful collage." The medical pioneer who once refused to return a quarter after removing it from a patient sought collecting as a means of displaying his clinical talents as well as teaching a lesson to people. "[Jackson] was an early and outspoken safety advocate, particularly when it came to children. As one of his assistant put it, his quest was to make the public and the medical profession 'foreign-body-conscious' about swallowing."

When Jackson's collection goes on display next month, be sure to remember the identifiable purpose for saving all of those inedible things, just as there is an epistemological purpose behind the culture of collecting in general.

Sources:

Macdonald, S., 2006. Collecting practices. In: Sharon Macdonald (ed.), A Companion to Museum Studies. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing, 81-97.

For Your Consideration...

2011-01-12T15:33:00.000-05:00

I've noticed every so often some bloggers will update their site with a "Footnotes" post where they include a few links to relevant material and provide minimal commentary. I used to think this was a second-rate way of keeping readers interested and informed. Why not write a short piece instead? Aren't most stories worth listing also worth writing about? Clearly a bulleted list offers little interpretive value and in some ways cheapens the significance of the story and its message/implications.

Lately, though, I've been considering the merits of the "Footnotes" post. In these lists, readers are alerted to a greater number of topics than in a longer, more focused post, as well as a range of noteworthy stories rather than just those about, say, archaeology, or museums, or cultural events. (Un)fortunately, the quantity and diversity of stories I'd like to cover on Culture in Peril is too huge, therefore the "Footnotes" post allows all of us to remain current on cultural heritage issues when it's needed most. While none of the topics become outdated or obsolete, my goal is to keep readers up to speed without compromising the analytical side of Culture in Peril.

So, not to belabor my point further, here are a few stories/issues for your consideration...

- Zapotec Indians in the state of Oaxaca in southern Mexico provide a leading example of sustainable community forest ownership and management. Cultural traditions, such as rule by an assembly of equals ("comuneros"), have defined their communities' business model: anybody who dares work for loggers or hunters is branded a traitor and will lose property rights.

- Babylon and other sites of ancient Mesopotamia are finally receiving financial and material support from archaeologists and preservationists to prevent further deterioration. The World Monuments Fund has unveiled a conservation plan while the U.S. State Department has committed $2 million to preserve the surviving ruins, including the two famous ancient cities of Ur and Nimrud. Iraqi officials hope the preservation projects will attract scientists and tourists alike, contributing to the country's cultural and economic revival.

- London's house museums offer a glimpse into the lives and inspirations of aesthetes from the city's past. The stories of the houses' former owners are as rich as the furniture and artwork inside.

- Former director of Little Falls Public Library (New York, USA) laments the "significant loss" of historical material through the sale of objects in the collection. Raises questions about motives for and ethics of deaccession in museums and institutions with collections.

- Film footage of Jackie Robinson discovered in archives at Drew University (New Jersey, USA).

- Residents of Djenne, Mali angered at restrictions on development in their city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. People complain of being "frozen in time like pieces in a museum," echoing similar tensions from those presently living at heritage sites across the world.

- Universal Music Group donates over 200,000 recordings from the 1930s-40s to the Library of Congress. Collection includes iconic, rare, and never-digitized tracks from the jazz and pre-rock period. All will be available to the public for free!

If you have newsworthy stories that you would like to see on Culture in Peril, please leave a comment below or email to cultureinperil (at) gmail (dot) com. I'm grateful for all input!

Adaptive Reuse and Cultural Heritage

2011-01-11T15:32:00.000-05:00

Melissa Abraham, senior communications specialist at the J. Paul Getty Trust, posted an article, "What Do You Mean, 'Sustainability and Cultural Heritage?," in which she discusses sustainable development as it relates to the preservation of cultural resources. Sustainable development, according to Ms. Abraham, is "meeting the world's current needs by using what we already have, so that we're not compromising the resources of future generations." She rightly notes that this forward-looking, long-term heritage conservation strategy has innumerable benefits to our environmental, economic, and social well-being. Ms. Abraham cites an example from Nevada City, California, a town which has capitalized on its rich history by incorporating many of its Gold Rush-era structures into local business opportunities. Sustainably conserved, the historic district of Nevada City is now listed on the National Register of Historic Places and considered to be among the best-preserved towns of the West. (Check out this brochure for a walking tour of Nevada City.)

An important phrase to consider when discussing cultural conservation (or cultural sustainability) is "adaptive reuse," the process that changes a disused or ineffective item into a new item that can be used for a different purpose. I think adaptive reuse is the concept alluded to but never mentioned in Ms. Abraham's article. In this burgeoning interdisciplinary field--a combination of heritage preservation, architecture, and community development--adaptive reuse is a key to preserving a structure while propping it up for new use. The preservation of historic buildings and other cultural resources provides a window into how our built environment had been structured in the past as well as gives a vision of where they fit into our future. Where a building is no long able to function with its original purpose, a readapted use may be the only way to preserve its heritage significance [1]. In all successful cases of adaptive reuse, there is minimal impact on the heritage significance of the resource and its setting. Adaptive reuse is self-defeating if it fails to protect the building's heritage value--its appearance; its social, cultural, or historic meaning; or its fundamental nature.

The Turbine Hall at London's Tate Modern, formerly the Bankside Power Station

Adaptive reuse circumvents the process of demolition and reconstruction, reducing waste and thus allowing for the reincorporation of old materials without wasting time and money or compromising environmental conditions. In this way, the original building retains its "embodied energy," that is the energy consumed by all of the processes associated with the production of a building, from the acquisition of natural resources to product delivery, including mining, manufacturing of materials and equipment, transport and administrative functions. Water, light, and heat systems can be upgraded, too. Socially, adaptive reuse can restore and maintain the heritage significance of a building and help to ensure its survival, rather than falling into disrepair through neglect. Communities increasingly recognize that future generations will benefit from the protection of cultural heritage resources. Our communal appreciation and self-recognition is enriched not only by the preservation of heritage buildings, but also from their adaptation into accessible and useable public places. Economically, adaptive reuse creates commercially viable investment assets for owners and users. Historic buildings can be "recycled" to suit multiple uses, such as offices, hospitals, businesses, and residences. Adaptive reuse ensures that previously defunct properties can once again become livable and sustainable.

So, who is interested in adaptive reuse? Builders, developers, architects, community groups, heritage councils, individuals, and all levels of government.

The Getty Conservation Institute will host a free panel discussion, "Sustainability and Heritage in a World of Change," on Tuesday, January 11, 2011 at 7:00PM. More information about the panelists and the Institute can be found here.

Sources:

[1] Australian Government, Department of the Environment and Heritage, 2004. Adaptive reuse: preserving our past, building our future.

Baig's Forts and Palaces Photobook Released To Much Fanfare

2011-01-08T11:29:00.003-05:00

Amita Baig's 256-page photo book Forts and Palaces of India was officially released to the public at an event attended by a long list of celebrities and superstars. The crowd lauded the author for the 25 years she has dedicated to cultural heritage protection and preservation in India, and they praised the photography team for illuminating the book with over 300 color photos. The book launch was an opportunity to celebrate a work as much as a message. Baig said, "I strongly feel that we need to develop a positive attitude towards our cultural heritage and not simply treat them as picture postcards. Forts and Palaces of India depicts the richness of such monuments in India and even presents how they came into being and are still as beautiful as they have been even after so many years of their existence."

Jaisalmer Fort, built in 1156AD in Indian state of Rajastan,
and one of the largest forts in the world (Photo: Adrian Sulc)

The Great Hall at National Portrait Gallery, Washington, D.C.

2011-01-07T22:29:00.000-05:00

Photo: Nicholas Merkelson

The Great Hall at the National Portrait Gallery (Washington, D.C.)

Once the largest room in America, the Great Hall was originally conceived to display miniature models required of inventors when the building housed the United States Patent Office. The space also served as the first national museum, and it was here that the Declaration of Independence was publicly displayed between 1841 and 1871. The guests at Abraham Lincoln's second inaugural ball passed through this room to join the receiving line in what is now called the Lincoln Gallery. Following a disastrous fire in 1877, which severely damaged other portions of the third floor of the building, this area was redone in the American Victorian Renaissance style to which it has now been restored.

...and currently on exhibition:

BRAVO! showcases individuals who have brought the performing arts to life, beginning with P.T. Barnum, who raised the curtain on modern entertainment in the late-19th century and continuing through the present.

Champions salutes the dynamic American sports figures whose impact has extended the athletic realm and made them a part of the larger story of the nation. A lively combination of portraits, artifacts, memorabilia and videos enhances both exhibitions.

Casey Stengel, 1890-1975
(Photo: Nicholas Merkelson)

New Museum Memorializes Sichuan Earthquake Victims

2011-01-05T12:00:00.002-05:00

Beichuan, the most heavily damaged town in the Sichuan earthquake zone, will soon become a museum and memorial to the victims of the May 12, 2008 earthquake. The local government announced recently that the town's ruins, including collapsed and leaning homes, schoolhouses and offices, will be preserved in their current wrecked state. Officials believe the 8,600 dead, about half of Beichuan's population, will be best remembered if the town's fragile remnants are left standing rather than demolished. 80 percent of the old part of the town and 20 percent of the new part was destroyed that day.

Aftermath of May 12, 2008 earthquake at Beichuan
(Photo: Reuters; more photos here)

Concerns have been raised as to if and how to exhume the remaining hundreds of missing bodies, whether the survivors will ever be able to properly mourn the loss of loved ones still buried. The founding of the earthquake museum touches on issues of remembrance and the commemoration of tragic events. By visiting such museums and memorials, do people affected by this (or other unpredictable natural disasters) experience cathartic release from their loss? As a preserved site of negative heritage, does Beichuan withhold the collective negative memory of an unavoidable catastrophe and offer a place for healing and reconciliation? Or will it forever be somewhere to avoid?

I have written elsewhere on the topic of memory and the importance confronting negative heritage (see, "Remember to Remember at Holocaust Museums" and "Negative Memory Bulldozed in Sri Lanka", and my argument remains much the same: museums dedicated to traumatic events engage a wide audience in the necessary consumption of grief, allowing society as a whole to remember and commemorate people and the past in a way that prevents us from forgetting our collective history entirely.

Repatriation: inevitable conflict, endless debate

2011-01-04T12:04:00.000-05:00

Photo: Nicholas Merkelson

Dr. Robert Kelly, an anthropology professor at the University of Wyoming, submitted a short opinion piece ("Bones of Contention," Dec. 12, 2010) to the New York Times in which he argues for the repeal of the latest NAGPRA Regulations on the Disposition of Culturally Unidentifiable Human Remains. The regulations, effective May 14, 2010, require American museums, universities, and institutions receiving federal funds, and therefore subject to NAGPRA mandates, to repatriate all culturally unaffiliated sets of human remains in their collections. Under the new rules, according to Kelly, control of remains must be transferred to Native American tribes regardless of whether cultural affiliation can be accurately determined. In his and other archaeologists' view, any tribe, federally recognized or not, is capable of claiming remains as their own. Kelly writes, "The main objective, it seems, is to get rid of the remains however possible, as quickly as possible."

I feel particularly invested in this issue after completing my master's dissertation, titled "NAGPRA, 1990-2010: Consultation, Communication, Collaboration ('Three C's') As Best Practice for Native American Repatriation Cases." Rather than arguing the merits of scientific analysis versus repatriation, I instead advocate a three-step best practice approach towards the mutual agreement on the disposition of human remains in American collections. Below is the abstract of this paper.

In November of this year we will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act (NAGPRA). Heralded as a major piece of human rights legislation, NAGPRA has made great strides in its twenty years in revaluing Native American religion and culture as a vital part of the national heritage. The anniversary year provides a useful opportunity to evaluate the current state and future direction of repatriation in the United States. In this paper I explicate the "Three C's"--consultation, communication, collaboration--as a best practice for parties to Native American repatriation cases. Where the debate is widely viewed as one between culture and science, I argue instead that Native and scientific ways of knowing about the past are equally valuable towards understanding the human condition and our species' shared cultural heritage. Based on secondary source research and personal communication with repatriation scholars around the United States, I discuss important historic preservation and Native American religious freedom laws that have influenced how NAGPRA has been applied to the diversity of requests for the return of human remains and cultural objects. Using the Zuni Tribe's approach to repatriation as a positive example, I explain how parties interested in a case should follow the Three C's to achieve a mutually agreeable outcome. Consultation, communication, and collaboration as a recommended method of discourse may foster constructive relationships between groups with historically conflicting viewpoints, namely Native Americans, museums, archaeologists, and anthropologists.

Interested in learning more about this paper and/or discussing repatriation of human remains and cultural property? Please email cultureinperil (at) gmail (dot) com.

1/1/11

2011-01-01T01:00:00.004-05:00

TO ALL FROM CULTURE IN PERIL

WISHING YOU A SAFE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR

January 1, 2011

Long Overdue Thank You's To Some CiP Followers

2010-12-28T14:24:00.002-05:00

Lately I have made enthusiastic attempts to reach out the growing community of cultural heritage, museum, and archaeology bloggers, in hopes that they might find Culture in Peril a useful resource for the cross-fertilization of ideas. My belief is that certain blogs, though they may cover similar stories in roughly the same short period of time, actually complement each other rather than rehash trite concepts ad nauseam. To read multiple different responses about, say, Italy's collapsing cultural heritage (for example, here, here, here, and here) not only hammers home the message of the dire straits facing Pompeii and other endangered sites around the world, but also provides a body of knowledge on which to base one's own perspective. Thus, I've made it something of a New Year's Resolution to more frequently post comments on other blogs, to feature the work of other bloggers, and to engage my audience more directly.

That said, I'd like to return some acknowledgments to a few well-deserving and keen followers of Culture in Peril:

Damien Huffer, an American PhD candidate at Australian National University and a regular contributor to SAFECorner's Cultural Heritage in Danger, maintains his own fascinating blog, It Surfaced Down Under. He draws from his background in Southeast Asian archaeology to write about and offer educated insights into the global antiquities trade and its effects on research, national identity, cultural preservation. Discussing articles and stories primarily originating in the Southern Hemisphere, Mr. Huffer "seeks to touch on that oft-discussed meme of 'Who owns heritage?'" and "provides examples of exactly what kinds of information and data ['context,' in archaeology speak] have been lost to provide the market with a looted artifact."

Contemporary Arts in Northern Nigeria is a blog written by Katrin Schulze, who is completing her doctoral work with the Department of Art and Archaeology at the School of Oriental and African Studies (London). Though her specialty focuses on the art and culture of Nigeria, I am grateful to Ms. Schulze for citing Culture in Peril as a key resource for understanding some of the continuous developments related to cultural property. She referred her readers to a February 2010 post ("Subsistence Digging is (Not) Looting?") for my discussion of the issue of archaeological "looting" among impoverished and marginalized populations.

Additional thanks go out to archaeo-blogger Paul Barford of Portable Antiquities Collecting and Heritage Issues. Mr. Barford has also covered the unusual partnership between the Southampton Historical Society and its metal-detecting club, Artifact Detecting Team (see this November 2010 post). Always airing on the side of 'good' archaeology, he writes, "The museum refers to this scheme with that horrible cliche as a 'win-win situation'. But it is not a win for the archaeological record of those historical sites still surviving rampant redevelopment in Southampton's backyards and farm fields, some going back to the colonial period. That is compromised rather than being preserved. That does not seem like a 'win win' situation to me."

Lastly, I'd like to recognize those who have recently 'blogrolled' Culture in Peril: Anthropology in Practice; Cultural Heritage in Danger; Illicit Cultural Property; Looting Matters; Searching for Authenticity; Sites of transformations?; and The Archaeology and Heritage Blog.

I look forward to 2011 as a year of collaboration and idea sharing between Culture in Peril and this great community!

Graffiti Vandals Hit Rock Art Sites in American Southwest

2010-12-22T01:27:00.000-05:00

The most recent post at Cultural Heritage in Danger reminds us of the ongoing threats to exposed and unprotected cultural heritage sites in the United States and abroad. In this case, rock art sites in Nevada and Arizona have been planned targets of graffiti vandalism. Police believe the hundreds of street gangs known to carry out such criminal activity are motivated by self-promotion in the form of "extremely destructive damage" and "shock value" -- tagging high-profile places enhances reputation, as it were. At Agua Fria National Monument and Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area, two recently hit sites under protection by federal land conservation statutes, graffiti was discovered in largely inaccessible locations where hiking and climbing were required. The severely damaged panels at both sites include pictographs, rock paintings and drawings, and stylized petroglyphs, or drawings scraped and etched into a rock surface. Archaeologists date Agua Fria to c. 2000 B.P. and attribute the masterworks, known as the Perry Mason tradition, to Native American tribes indigenous to the region; the drawings at Red Rock are similarly dated. Many of them have not yet been studied.

Graffiti vandalism at Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.
(Photo credits: Friends of Red Rock Canyon)

The American Southwest is home to thousands of comparable sites in terms of content, nature, origin, location, access, interpretation, and protection. As I have argued in the past (See "Drug Addiction Fuels Looting of Antiquities"), "remote" cultural sites are never too isolated to suffer damage or desecration at the hands of uncaring individuals. Within this vast expanse, only a handful of federal agents are available to fend off criminal activity such as the rampant illicit looting of and vandalism to cultural sites and property. That the recent graffiti vandalism was perpetrated in far removed areas of National Conservation Areas further emphasizes the sustained vulnerability of these natural and cultural heritage sites without proper policing and/or security protection. I understand a lack of human and financial resources prevents monitoring of all sites on a daily, if not semi-regular basis. However, the solution to this cultural crime should not be to simply mop it up and restore the site as best to its original appearance, a measure employed at Keyhole Sink at Kaibab National Forest and planned for the Red Rock graffiti. Instead, we must consider viable practical alternatives to ensure the long term physical protection of our heritage sites without jeopardizing its quality or authenticity. I'm open to suggestions, thoughts, and criticisms regarding proactive heritage preservation for exposed sites and landscapes.

Unfortunately, in Nevada and Arizona the maximum penalty for "placing graffiti with a gang enhancement" carries a five-year jail sentence and $100,000 fine, a punishment I strongly feel will always be insufficient to absolve a person of such senseless conduct against human cultural heritage.

Sagamore Hill: Teddy Roosevelt's 'Summer White House'

2010-12-21T13:20:00.002-05:00

My two-day local heritage tour ended with a chilly visit to Sagamore Hill National Historic Site. Theodore Roosevelt, 26th President of United States, passed seven summers here between 1902 and 1908. A native of Manhattan, Roosevelt grew up visiting this part of Long Island to enjoy its natural beauty, spending summer vacations hiking, rowing, swimming and riding. In 1884 he purchased farmland on Cove Neck and for $16,975 he built the well-preserved, sturdy, modern home visitors see today. The 22-room Queen Anne-style home and all other properties on the eighty-three acre estate are a listed National Historic Site and constitute the only presidential site on Long Island. (CLICK to enlarge photos. Sorry none of the interior.)

(All photo credits: Nicholas Merkelson)

A Few Historic Sites on Long Island, NY

2010-12-20T21:41:00.002-05:00

Today was a good day for a brief heritage tour of Long Island's historic landmarks. Here are select photographs I took while driving through Cold Spring Harbor, Huntington, Oyster Bay, and Laurel Hollow. Located on the north coast of Suffolk County, these gorgeous seaside villages date to the 1600s, making this area one of the earliest settlements in state and national history. Countless museums, historical societies, heritage sites, and cultural institutions exist to preserve this cultural landscape's 400-year-old legacy -- unfortunately, very few are open on Mondays! (CLICK to enlarge photos.)

Suydam House & Barn Museum (Thanks to StoppingPoints.com for geotagging.)

These historical markers are found all throughout the local area. Unfortunately, none of the towns' websites
have historical marker tours (or even a listing of the location and text of all the markers).

The Heckscher Museum of Art, located in Huntington's Heckscher Park, has a permanent collection
of over 2100 works spanning 500 years of Western art. There are also significant holdings of local artists' works.

The Cold Spring Harbor Whaling Museum (founded 1936), "collects, preserves, and exhibits objects
and documents pertinent to whaling, especially the regional whaling history of Long Island,
whale conservation, and the history of Cold Spring Harbor as a maritime port."

The Whaling Museum Offices are located in the yellow building,
built in 1894 and the former home of whaling Captain James Wright.

The main office and museum of the Society for the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities (SPLIA),
a non-profit working to preserve and promote Long Island's cultural heritage and historic environments.

(All photo credits: Nicholas Merkelson)

Climate Change and the World Archaeological Heritage

2010-12-17T16:23:00.001-05:00

WEATHER.

Sometimes a "good" archaeologist.

Long-lost Roman statue "unearthed" by winter storms along the coast of Israel
(Photo: Reuters)

Other times a "bad" archaeologist.

Terra-cotta artworks at Mahasthangarh in Bangladesh are threatened by heavy rainfall and highly saline soil
(Photo: Susan Liebold)

***

A March/April 2009 feature article, "Climate Change: Sites in Peril," published in Archaeology magazine, discusses some of the environmental threats facing archaeological sites around the world. Global warming, rising sea levels, melting glaciers, increased rainfalls, desertification -- all have contributed to the degradation of the world archaeological heritage on a vastly observable scale. Entire sites have been and will continue to close to the public as cultural heritage specialists assess permanent damage and risk factors. Archaeologists, too, will be washed out and wind-driven away from the very source of their profession. Though they cannot stop climate change (sorry Palin, global warming is not "snake oil science") from altering the physical landscape around them, archaeologists from Peru to Switzerland to Sudan are working fast to combat its impact on historic sites and artifacts. Mapping, excavating, documenting, and photographing occurs at an unprecedented if not critical pace before these cultural resources are lost forever. To be sure, their concerns are as much intellectual as they are professional. Albert Hafner of the University of Bern refers to record lows of ice cover in the Swiss Alps, "I think in the next years if there is a hot summer, the ice will disappear completely. I'm very happy to find the objects because they will give us new inputs, but I am not happy about the climate change. I'm an archaeologist, but I'm also an alpinist."

So, even as the calendar changes, it remains a huge uncertainty as to the future state of our shared archaeological heritage.

Endangered Breton Language Faces Extinction

2010-12-16T19:54:00.000-05:00

In previous posts I have explored the alarming issue of language loss as it relates to the preservation (and extinction) of collective human knowledge and world cultures. Whether reporting the death of the last living member of the Bo language group, discussing the impact of the Endangered Language Alliance project, assessing the scholarship of Wade Davis, or championing the Smithsonian's Recovering Voices initiative, my purpose has always been to inform readers why language loss must be a global concern. UNESCO's safeguarding endangered languages webpage reads:

Languages are humankind's principle for interacting and for expressing ideas, emotions, knowledge, memories and values. Languages are also primary vehicles of cultural expressions and intangible cultural heritage, essential to the identity of individuals and groups. Safeguarding endangered languages is thus a crucial task in maintaining cultural diversity worldwide.

A December 13 article on CNN.com, "Bretons fight to save language from extinction," reinforces this critical message.

Breton is the unique language spoken in the Brittany region of northwestern France. Settled by the Celts in the fifth and sixth centuries AD, Brittany is a bit of a Celtic enclave, sharing as much of their culture with Ireland as with France. Linguistically, Breton is more closely related to Welsh or Cornish, and the people of this region are proud of their Celtic heritage. Sadly, with an estimated 250,000 living Bretons, reduced from almost 2 million speakers at the start of the twentieth century and with 10,000 more passing each year, the language has been listed by UNESCO as severely endangered and in urgent need of protection. According to some estimates, the number of Breton speakers will decline by over thirty percent in the next ten years.

Similar to the Basques in Spain, Breton-speakers are a linguistic minority in their country. The French constitution recognizes only French as the republic's official language (Article 2), and whereas Spain has ratified the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages, which recognizes the value of interculturalism and multilingualism, France has not. Many people view the lack of support for Breton as further evidence of French uneasiness with cultural diversity, citing both the recent public ban of burqas and deportations of Roma migrants as well as the French state's actions against Breton-speakers during World War II (e.g. it was banned from use in public and especially in schools).

Nine criteria established by UNESCO Ad Hoc Expert Group on Endangered Languages
to determine the viability of a language, its function in society,
and the types of measures required for its maintenance or revitalization
(From: http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/doc/src/00120-EN.pdf)

Nonetheless, recent moves within the government seem to indicate a sympathetic shift in attitude towards France's 15 regional languages. According to Xavier North, Delegate General for the French language and the languages of France at the Ministry of Culture and Communication, the National Assembly already earmarks one million euros per year for hiring bilingual teachers in public schools, and lawmakers will also soon decide whether to provide additional state funding for curricular lessons in regional languages. Moreover, designated Breton schools such as Skol Diwan An Oriant ("Diwan" is Breton for "seed") are teaching nursery- through college-age students how to speak, read, write, and understand the language of their grandparents. Breton activists hope in this new generation of speakers will reinvent and reassert the Breton identity in the twenty-first century.

What other steps can be taken by either the French government or the Breton community to ensure the survival of the Breton language?

Photo book captures India's fragile architectural heritage

2010-12-14T00:04:00.004-05:00

A new book, Forts and Palaces of India (Om Books International, 256 pages) by conservationist Amita Baig, calls attention to the increasing deterioration of India's architectural heritage and raises the issue of preservation for the country's fragile forts and palaces. Released just last week, the book is quite a compendium of cultural heritage imagery, a pictorial anthology with 300 color photographs depicting nearly 70 percent of the forts on the subcontinent. This photographic tour de force, painstakingly documented by architect-photographer Joginder Singh, represents the culmination of three years of extensive travel and research into 5,000 years of Indian history as recorded in thousands of legendary architectural masterworks. Baig, former director-general of the architectural heritage division at the Indian National Trust For Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) and currently a consultant to the India program at World Monuments Fund, draws from her 25 years experience to make a case advocating greater proactive legislative efforts by "policy gurus" to conserve India's monuments. She argues:

Over the centuries, as kingdoms rose and fell or expanded into mighty empires, the need for protection against invaders resulted in the building of magnificent forts and fortified citadels across the country. Many of these fortresses sheltered entire cities as well as royal palaces and pleasure gardens that were known for their splendor and luxury. Today, a majority of our forts, as I have mentioned in the book, have been orphaned by circumstances of history. The fate of our forts, which exemplify centuries of our history, are facing threat from all directions and if care is not taken at the earliest, they will soon disappear from the map. To conserve these forts is an immense challenge and I feel, after years of working in this field, we must accept collective responsibility for the fate of our heritage.

Two interrelated factors severely affecting the quality of the architectural landmarks are ignorance and a lack of knowledge. Baig condemns the waste piling up at some sites and the graffiti on walls at others, yet ultimately the blame falls on the government for not setting aside the necessary funding and educational resources for heritage protection. A large number of sites, she says, have been under the custodianship of the government since the 1950s. Over several decades, unsustainable tourism, insufficient governance policy, and development pressures have so greatly degraded scores of ancient, medieval, and colonial forts that much is irreparable. As Baig laments, "These forts may not be there tomorrow."

Baig appeals to a sense of collective stewardship for the preservation of her country's endangered cultural heritage. Forts and Palaces of India conveys this shared responsibility with well researched, authoritative text, and the magnificent photographs allow her readers to visualize the "very real risks" threatening sites of powerful national significance. And while the impulse to change the present course and halt this destruction should arise in the citizen, the government must always shoulder the responsibility for protecting the shared heritage of its people.

An Online Guide to North American Historical Markers

2010-12-10T15:58:00.000-05:00

I always appreciate people informing me of ongoing projects in cultural heritage preservation and heritage tourism. Sharing information about their work, whether in initial stages of planning or full-scale operation, allows me to then spread the word and further develops my understanding of issues in cultural heritage.

That said, I would like to thank the people at StoppingPoints.com for clueing me into their digital database of historical landmarks, and particularly their latest guide to New York Historical Landmarks, a must see for people interested in the Empire State's thousands of historical sites and places of interest.

StoppingPoints.com provides a guide for local points of interest information for Northern America and is currently deploying data iteratively. We provide information regarding historical markers, historical buildings, and points of interest. In addition, we provide services, including interactive tools such as sharing facilities for maps, photos and other information.

I'm assuming that the goal of this ambitious comprehensive cataloging project is to geotag all of the 80,000+ properties currently listed on the National Register of Historic Places as well as other historical markers and places of interest, including courthouses, residences, churches, and cemeteries. Clicking on a link brings up a map, address, geographic coordinates, and limited information about the site. The search function needs improvement, as there is no way to cross reference database entries (for example, all sites related to U.S. presidents).

The StoppingPoints project will aid heritage tourists, preservationists, cultural resource specialists, developers, architects, and educators alike as they variously engage with cultural heritage for their own purposes. The fact that the database is available on the Internet ensures maximum access and visibility to a global audience. As the database continues to grow, perhaps there will be an opportunity for the public post its own photographs and reactions to the sites listed. Wouldn't it be great if we had forum where we could discuss our own visits, experiences, knowledge of the sites? Wouldn't it be important to know the conservation status of sites too? Still, with only a small fraction of the national heritage yet listed, StoppingPoints has the potential to be an invaluable resource for those of us interested in digital historical preservation of cultural heritage resources.

US/ICOMOS recognizes Cultural Heritage Center with award

2010-12-07T15:57:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to the Cultural Heritage Center for receiving the first annual Heritage Award for International Excellence. The award, given by the U.S. National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (US/ICOMOS), recognizes organizations, programs, projects, individuals, and publications that exemplify worldwide excellence in the protection, revitalization, or interpretation of the world's historic monuments and sites; or that educate the public about global heritage or otherwise further the goals of the World Heritage Convention. The Cultural Heritage Center, part of the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, serves a pivotal role in the exercise of cultural heritage protection and preservation in the United States and the world. The Center oversees the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, the Iraq Cultural Heritage Initiative, and various special cultural heritage programs designed to safeguard the international cultural heritage. The Center also administers the nation's responsibilities to the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. By providing funds to preservation projects in over 100 countries, training international experts in legal and ethical cultural heritage issues, supporting initiatives that aim to prevent the global trade in cultural property, and promoting access to cultural and natural sites around the world, the Cultural Heritage Center has been a critical player in the positive valuation of humans' common heritage.

Update: Pompeii's Collapsing Archaeological Heritage

2010-12-01T21:15:00.000-05:00

Just as I was wrapping up the previous post I learned that two more walls gave way inside Pompeii. Despite ongoing preservation and restoration efforts at the 2,000-year-old archaeological site, this string of recent collapses was triggered by uncharacteristically heavy rains sweeping across southern Italy. UNESCO experts will arrive on Thursday to evaluate the damage and determine where are the additional vulnerable areas. Perhaps these global heritage specialists will consult Italian archaeologists' "risk map of cultural landmarks"; according to this list, Pompeii and Herculaneum, just two of the dozens of precious archaeological sites under critical review, have suffered from irreversible damage after years of neglect and inadequate maintenance.

Pompeii's House of Gladiators collapsed earlier this month (Photo: AP)

Pompeii was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997 and an estimated 3 million visitors pass through the site annually.

Pompeii's Collapsing Archaeological Heritage

2010-12-01T12:44:00.002-05:00

A second building collapse at Pompeii prompts inquiries as to the state of Italy's cultural and archaeological management. Earlier this week, a portion of the garden wall at the House of the Moralist unexpectedly fell down at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. According to Antonio Varone, Pompeii's director of excavations, the two building apartment was otherwise in no danger. This recent catastrophe occurred just three weeks after archaeological officials reported the collapse of a 2,000-year-old stone house at the ill-fated ancient city. The house, known in Latin as Schola Armaturarum, served as a residence and training ground for gladiators waiting to fight in the arena. Today, over twenty centuries later, both of these architectural heritage landmarks lay in rubble.

The collapsed House of the Moralist (Photo: AP)

November's unfortunate events likely indicate that decades of poor archaeological management at Pompeii and other sites have finally taken their toll. Hundreds of archaeological sites (and thousands of them across the Mediterranean) have suffered similarly to Pompeii: from looting to funding shortages to utter neglect. It has been a problem plaguing culture-rich source nations like Italy for too long.

Currently, the Italian government is undergoing a major shake up in the administration of its cultural resources. Culture Minister Sandro Bondi is expected to receive a vote of no confidence from political opponents. And now, more than ever, Italian and foreign archaeologists are uttering their last goodbyes to cultural treasures from ancient Rome. It appears someone will soon be losing a job -- but who? The politician charged with a 1.7 billion Euro budget for heritage conservation? The archaeologist whose career depends on non-renewable material cultural resources for research?

Addendum: Istanbul's Cultural Heritage Inventory

2010-11-23T19:43:00.000-05:00

Another short article about Turkey's cultural heritage preservation appeared yesterday in the Hurriyet Daily News, this one lauding the success of Europa Nostra Turkey's advocacy and awareness campaign. According to the article, in the past few years the Turkish branch of Europe's largest cultural heritage association has been at the forefront of cultural resource protection on the continent. The group has made a priority of raising civil awareness for the safeguarding the national cultural heritage. By discussing "with all classes of society" the ongoing threats to Turkey's history, such as migration and rapid urban development, Europa Nostra Turkey ignites a strong public concern for the national identity and for the nation's history. In regards to the Cultural Ants projects initiated by Europa Nostra a few years ago, Turkish architect Baris Alkan said, "Thanks to this project, we have brought schoolchildren together with history and culture. We have made them touch and perceive historical structures. This will shape their conscious and a more conscious generation will come."

Europa Nostra Turkey's cultural preservation efforts were recently recognized by Europa Nostra in a 2007 award for the restoration of Cappadocia's Sarica Church. See also the Rock Sites of Cappadocia on UNESCO World Heritage List.

Istanbul's Cultural Heritage Inventory

2010-11-22T17:33:00.001-05:00

A cultural heritage cataloging project, "Inventory of Cultural Heritage and Cultural Economy of Istanbul," has been ongoing in Turkey's capital over the past 16 months. Through a partnership between the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, the Istanbul 2010 Capital of Culture Agency, and other institutions, the project seeks to categorize and inventory "every sort of cultural heritage" into an accessible online database. The 2010 project, much like its failed predecessors, is an ambitious one: with Istanbul's centuries-old history dating from the Roman Empire and rich cultural legacy of diverse inhabitants, the comprehensive digital archive is expected to number in the millions. A small budget of only TL 1,512,000 (2.2 millions USD) complicates the endeavor even further.

Yet project coordinator Professor Ahmet Emre Bilgili remains optimistic the inventory is coming along well. His team of cultural heritage specialists--including historians, restoration experts, architects, collections managers, and public relations people--has "completed the vast majority of the project" in only a short amount of time.

Here's a short blurb answering the oft-cited question regarding "cultural mapping" projects like this one: What will it contribute?

First and foremost, this project will lend a much-desired technological foundation and model for helping record the cultural heritage of other cities across Turkey. The project will also help promote Turkey on an international level as well as increase the tourism potential of the city. The vast cultural heritage of the city will finally be gathered in one accessible pool of information. In addition, the project Internet site is free to anyone who wishes access -- an open source for foreign as well as local academics, students, teachers and the curious.

Keep an eye out for the completed database, expected December, 2010: www.istanbulkulturevanteri.gov.tr.

World Cultural Heritage Enshrined In Local Commemorative Plaque

2010-11-21T12:29:00.000-05:00

Sometimes, when you think you've seen every commemorative statue and memorial in your town, you find another one hiding under the rug -- or in this case, prominently displayed in a public space. Here's a piece of local history and cultural heritage I just recently discovered at the Port Washington Town Dock:

Photo credit: Nicholas Merkelson

The bronze plaque reads:

TO COMMEMORATE The Achievement of the First Commercial Survey Flights made across the North Atlantic jointly by PAN AMERICAN AIRWAYS and IMPERIAL AIRWAYS (forerunner of British Overseas Airways Corporation)

Piloted by Captain Harold E. Gray, the Pan American Sikorsky S-42B Clipper Flying Boat departed from Port Washington and arrived at Foynes, Ireland, July 9, 1937

Piloted by Captain Arthur S. Wilcockson, the Imperial Airways Short 'C' Class Flying Boat 'Caledonia' Arrived at Port Washington on this date from Foynes.

Thus was Pioneered the beginning of a New Era in Communications between the Peoples of the World

Erected by the Wings Club, 1969

Commemorative markers like the one above preserve the relevancy and memory of historical events. Whether a small sign or statue, a large site or memorial, when erected in public for a wide audience to interpret, these tangible dedicative landmarks of the past are important features of humans' shared cultural landscape: they share an element of history to communicate a lesson to present and future generations. (See, for examples, a previous post highlighting the Holocaust exhibition at London's Imperial War Museum reminds us that negative memory can provide healthy negotiation of a tragic past; and also a larger-than-life statue eternalizes Mister Rogers's legacy of teaching children how to be responsible, open-minded human beings.)

Readers, what do you think is the relationship between local commemoration and global appreciation of our shared cultural heritage? In what ways do other people benefit from the interaction I've enjoyed with this one plaque? (Or conversely, in what ways can I benefit from other people's production of their own cultural heritage?)

I'm thankful for the 1937 transatlantic journey, and plaque commemorating the event, which serve to remind me of Culture in Peril's fundamental belief: local heritage can and should be universally embraced by humans a time and world apart.

Global Heritage Fund In The News

2010-11-20T20:28:00.001-05:00

Many thanks to Mike Smith and Julia Tikunova at Global Heritage Fund for telling me about Saving Our Vanishing Heritage, a GHF project focusing on "the challenges facing our most significant and endangered archaeological and heritage sites in the developing world -- and what we can do to save them - before they are lost forever." The report includes a survey of over 500 threatened global heritage sites and a review by leading conservation experts identifying how the global community can immediately intervene in the destruction of these cultural treasures." Executive Director Jeff Morgan contributed an informative piece about the project to the Huffington post -- definitely worth checking out for the great quote by Tim Williams of UCL Institute of Archaeology!

Go to the Saving Our Vanishing Heritage website where you can download a pdf of the report. Also check out the organization's superb web log, Heritage on The Wire. All well done by Global Heritage Fund!

Archaeological Resource Preservation: Museum-Archaeology Community and...Metal Detectorists??

2010-11-18T07:22:00.006-05:00

Having moved back to Long Island recently after several years away, I now find myself appreciating more and more the rich cultural heritage inscribed in the island's history. I learned of one interesting story from an article in Newsday's Long Island section. The article, "Hunting history to save it" by Bill Bleyer, highlights a local cultural resource management project involving the collaboration of metal-detecting enthusiasts and the Southampton Historical Society. In a nutshell:

The 112-year-old non-profit museum and research center has partnered with--contracted--a paying community of avid metal-detectorists, the Artifact Detecting Team (ADT), to hunt for archaeological resources dating to Southampton's early-18th century Colonial past. Profits from ADT's scheduled pre-registered hunting weekends (they are selling out!) on the town's freshly tilled farm lands are put towards the estimated $326,000 restoration of the 1739 Sayre Barn, while all recovered artifacts are subject to finders-keepers for the metal-detecting hobbyists.

Now, I dare say actual "data" is shared in this sympathetic, if not unusual, cultural resource management partnership. Because the fields are cultivated, finds--including copper coins, colonial buttons, military musket balls, andother interesting objects (but excluding American Indian artifacts, which are returned to the Shinnecock Nation)--are out of context and therefore not on true historical or archaeological sites. In such cases "relics" churned up through agriculture provide little scientific value to professional archaeologists yet offer a perfect opportunity for metal-detecting to take place en masse. As Southampton's local history and research center, the museum only asks to record and photograph the artifacts before becoming part of someone's private collection.

I'd like to offer up a few interesting contradictions here, as I struggle to fully appreciate the actions and intentions of both sides:

1) In this promotional video describing the collaborative venture with ADT, Southampton Historical Society Executive Director Tom Edmonds says, "The Sayre Barn is in very critical need of restoration. It's going to take hundreds of thousands of dollars. What we'd like to do with this barn is remind tourists and residents of the role Southampton played in the American Revolution, and the Sayre Barn could be a great educational tool." Sounds to me like the primary goal of this emergency conservation project is to raise public awareness of the Sayre Barn's historical value through education and access to an authentically restored site. Although I support historical preservation and the use of cultural resources for educational purposes, I am dismayed by the fact that future museum patrons will miss the opportunity to learn more of the Sayre Barn's history because metal-detectorists walked away with associated artifacts. On the very first hunting weekend, 32 coins dating as far back as 1750, more than 100 Colonial buttons, buckles, a copper ring, and two Civil War musket balls were uncovered, with still hundreds more acres of farmland to scour. None of these or any further finds will be enjoyed bythe museum or its visitors and researchers. Aren't these objects educational tools as well?

2) Must the museum rely on metal-detecting as the primary source of revenue for its three-year capital campaign? I recognize the estimated restoration cost is quite considerable for a small not-for-profit. But this partnership for the museum, whether short or long-term, is like striking a deal with the devil: supporting metal-detecting today may lead to treasure hunting tomorrow, and amateur detectorists may become bona fide looters in the future. On preselected privately owned farms in Southampton, one can treasure hunt as an ADT team member for just a nominal fee--non-members pay $100 for an 8-hour farm field hunt. Not surprisingly, expectations of walking away with hundreds of dollars in pre-Revolutionary War-era artifacts can be high. I think the museum must figure out a way to fund the restoration without compromising the quality of their cultural heritage resources, including land and artifacts, or their educational potential.

3) Mr. Edmonds describes the ADT as people "who like to uncover history." The group's Frequently Asked Questions page, though, makes it clear there is no guarantee of finding artifacts on any one metal-detecting outing--they are referred to as 'natural' hunts.

YOU: How can I achieve maximum success?

ADT: "DIG ALL repeatable signals...Our motto is find it, dig it, bag it, fill it and keep moving. Every good signal -- you never know."

Do those history buffs wielding metal-detectors know of their savage method for handling fragile artifacts? It is abusive on so many accounts. Ask any archaeologist and they will tell you wearing heavy work boots at a site destroys tiny objects and presses others deeper into the ground. Ask any conservator and they will tell you coppers and irons are vulnerable to agents of deterioration just as the planks of wood in the Sayre Barn's walls. ADT members "seek out the thrill and potential of discovering once-in-a-lifetime relic finds." In every case, the existence of these artifacts and the instance of their discovery will always be once-in-a-lifetime; it is unrepeatable and unique to the time and place. Common practice for metal-detectorists seems to be grab-and-run, non-discriminatory, unsustainable treasure hunting. Is this any way to seek a thrill? Oh, right, "Time is money," advises ADT.

4) I'd like to point you to 4:38 of the promotional video (screenshot above), when one detectorist is seen moving across a tilled field at dusk. Really puts a face to the label "nighthawkers," doesn't it?

and 5) What happens if the museum does not raise the $326,000 needed for the Sayre Barn's restoration? Perhaps someone with a stronger background in museum development and/or historic preservation could provide insight.

Amazonian River Turtle: Cultural and Natural Heritage in northern Brazil

2010-09-07T11:23:00.006-04:00

The Nature Conservancy's Autumn 2010 publication features a vignette about the river turtle as a "cultural icon" for many Amazonian indigenous groups of northern Brazil. Known locally as trajaca, the tribal communities of the Oiapoque region have noticed declining populations of turtles in the past decade. The absence of river turtles poses not only a threat to the natural heritage of the area, but also to the indigenous populations who make the turtle a key element of their cultural identity.

For many of these cultural groups the river turtle is a cherished symbol of long-held traditions. The humble, unassuming creature is the stuff of legends to the people of the Amazon, preserved in native myths, artworks, and indeed special recipes. Elements of their identity are intimately tied to the turtle's existence, and thus extinction very well poses a threat to the preservation of traditional cultures in the region. Their designation as a "Vulnerable" species demonstrates a proven concern for natural conservationists and cultural conservationists alike.

The short article highlights a conservation initiative in which scientists and villagers are working together to help stop the animal's decline:

In September, when turtles lay their eggs, [they] locate several nests and gently dig up the contents. They carry the eggs back to the villages and bury them within protected pens. In December, when the hatchlings emerge, families temporarily adopt them and house them in plastic tubs. The children take on most of the work in caring for the turtles, feeding them fishmeal and bananas and taking them for supervised 'walks' [my emphasis]...Families in the villages travel by boat to take the animals to their nesting grounds. There the children release their little charges into the wild.

According to the project's statistics, between 2006 and 2008 more than 770 turtles were hatched, nurtured, and released. The youth-led initiative towards primary care of the trajaca has been important in Amazonian communities. Paulo Roberto da Silva, of the Galibi-Marworno ethnic group, said, "We want to have the trajaca here in our land for future generations." Preservation of the young turtles has engendered preservation of traditions in the younger generations.

The Nature Conservancy's collaboration with locals in the river turtle recovery program highlights the connection between the preservation of natural and cultural heritage and the mutual appreciation of these heritage symbols. In practice here is a constructive example of joint stewardship efforts towards heritage management goals. Scientists and natives have found agreeable solutions for long-term preservation and sustainability of heritage resources. In the most biodiverse part of our planet, the Amazon, it is rewarding to find a success story with implications for our species' universal natural and cultural heritage.