| Stop Press
A compilation of media articles on heritage topics. Obviously, these all reflect the viewpoints of the authors.
31 August
- Van Gogh painted on tea towels: museum curator
CBC Arts, Canada
Artist Vincent Van Gogh, known for being always short of money and materials, resorted to painting on tea towels according to the curator of the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam.
- Ayuda Internacional, Archiveros Voluntarios
Archivos Municipales, Argentina
El día 22 de agosto se retransmitió un correo electrónico de un particular, colega del Perú, que solicitaba ayuda relacionada con planes de contingencia en caso de desastres como el sismo que asoló la región de Pisco.
- Ancient yucca chaws yield ancient DNA
Physorg.com, Etats-Unis
In a groundbreaking study, two Harvard scientists have for the first time extracted human DNA from ancient artifacts. The work potentially opens up a new universe of sources for ancient genetic material, which is used to map human migrations in prehistoric times.
30 August
- Saving the sounds of history
BBC News, United Kingdom
Sean Street: From Vietnamese spoon music to the first ever recording of bird song, the BBC presides over an extensive sound archive. The fact it almost wound up on a scrap heap only to be saved by a "temp" is one of the great untold stories of broadcasting history - until now.
- Mesopotamian city grew from merging settlements
New Scientist, United Kingdom
Contrary to the assumption that ancient cities always grew outwards from a central point, the urban site of Tell Brak in north-eastern Syria appears to have emerged as several nearby settlements melded together, according to researchers' analysis of archaeological evidence.
- Il était une fois... un musée qui raconte des histoires
Swissinfo, Switzerland
Carole Wälti: Promouvoir la tradition orale, c'est la mission que s'est donnée le «Storyteller Museum», en partenariat avec l'Institut suisse de l'héritage intangible. Les deux entités travaillent dans la perspective de la ratification par la Suisse de la Convention de l'Unesco sur le patrimoine culturel immatériel, prévue l'an prochain.
- Great Wall could be lost to sands of the desert
The Independent, United Kingdom
Clifford Coonan: Sandstorms in northern China are reducing large sections of the Great Wall to rubble. Archaeologists say whole chunks of one of the seven wonders of the world could be gone in 20 years, swallowed up by the Badain Jaran desert.
- China, Mongolia to protect traditional long-song
China View.com, China
China and Mongolia agreed Thursday to conduct a field survey on the traditional long-song, a major form of Mongolian song, over the next two years. The decision was made during the second conference of the long-song protection committee of China and Mongolia, which was held in Ulan Bator on Thursday.
- Patrimonio arqueológico
El Dia, Spain
Molina (El ministro de Cultura, César Antonio Molina) también anunció que impulsará un Plan Nacional de Protección del Patrimonio Arqueológico Subacuático, con objeto de evitar "actuaciones no deseadas", como el caso Odyssey.
- Burial clue to early urban strife
BBC News, United Kingdom
Archaeologists working in Syria have unearthed the remains of dozens of youths thought to have been killed in a fierce confrontation 6,000 years ago.
29 August
- Côte d'Ivoire: Découverte culturelle à Touba
AllAfrica.com
Bayo Fatim: Les grottes de Toutché, une fortune touristique. Le Bafing est un gisement culturel et touristique. Les Ivoiriens gagneraient à mettre en valeur les potentialités dont regorge cette région.
28 August
- 'Spruce up' for Culloden exhibits
BBC News, United Kingdom
Prime exhibits from Culloden are heading for a spring clean before returning to play a central role at a new visitor centre.
- 'They did everything they could to save Olympia. They chose a monument above human life'
The Independent, United Kingdom
Elinda Labropoulou: On the outskirts of Zaharo there is a burnt black line; on one side everything is ash, burnt tree stumps, charred buildings and smouldering cars. On the other side is all that remains of the town - a handful of buildings, shops and homes that were saved from the flames in a desperate, last-ditch battle.
- Les journées européennes du patrimoine 2007
Toute l'Europe
Les Journées européennes du patrimoine 2007 se dérouleront en France les 15 et 16 septembre sous un thème national :"Les métiers du patrimoine : des hommes et des femmes au service des biens culturels".
- Researchers say Italy's 5,000-year-old Iceman died from head trauma, not arrow
International Herald Tribune
Researchers studying Iceman, the 5,000-year-old mummy found frozen in the Italian Alps, have come up with a new theory for how he died, saying he died from head trauma, not by bleeding to death from an arrow. Researchers studying Iceman, the 5,000-year-old mummy found frozen in the Italian Alps, have come up with a new theory for how he died, saying he died from head trauma, not by bleeding to death from an arrow.
27 August
- Greek fires kill 58 and pose threat to ancient Olympia
Finanacial Times, United Kingdom
Krein Hope: More than 30 forest fires raged out of control across southern Greece for a third day yesterday, forcing the evacuation of dozens of villages and threatening ancient Olympia, site of the first Olympic Games.
- Buscan recuperar oficios en vías de extinción
El Tribuno de Salta, Argentina
La Dirección de Regímenes Especiales del Ministerio de Educación está conformando una base de datos acerca de oficios antiguos, con el objeto de contar con una base de datos que pueda ser utilizada por la población a la hora de necesitar algún trabajo de este tipo.
- Yaaral et Dégal: La sauvegarde en marche
L'Essor, Mali
Les festivités du Yaaral et du Dégal organisées par la communauté peule, marquent la traversée du fleuve Niger par les troupeaux de boeufs de retour de la transhumance. Deux fois par an, cette manifestation culturelle donne lieu à des expressions variées et très populaires.
26 August
- Designs on heritage
Calcutta Telegraph, India
“It is only after I joined work at PWD that I discovered that architecture affords opportunities for studying geography, history, heritage and interior design.”
25 August
- Debating the future of Afghan Buddhas
BBC News, United Kingdom
Charles Haviland: Seven years ago, it was a place of serene contemplation. Now it is a vast, gaping chasm, filled with dust, noise and what looks like rubble, with signs warning that hard hats must be worn.
- The making of a Unesco World Heritage site
The Telegraph, United Kingdom
From Dorset's 'Jurassic Coast' to Ethiopia's Rock Churches, Unesco now lists 851 places of outstanding beauty. But how are they selected, asks Sophie Campbell.
24 August
- Kashmir's crumbling monuments get restoration boost
Reuters
Hundreds of Indian Kashmir's monuments are dilapidated and crumbling, prompting authorities and restoration experts to step up efforts to save the restive Himalayan state's unique cultural heritage.
- DNA from Spit Helps Decode Lives of Early Settlers
NPR, United States
Scientists have made remarkable strides in recent years in analyzing ancient DNA. Using the tools of molecular biology, they have been able to extract DNA from bones and teeth of early humans. Scientists have used that genetic data to track how people moved around the world.
23 August
- In pictures: Technology's hidden past
BBC News, United Kingdom
London's Science Museum has launched a bid to build a vast new museum on an abandoned Royal Air Force base at Wroughton, near Swindon.
22 August
- INAH: huracán no dañó el patrimonio cultural
El Universal.com, México
Tras el paso del huracán Dean no se presentaron daños en las zonas arqueológicas y los museos de Yucatán y Quintana Roo, informó el Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia.
- Inside the Emperor’s underground palace
The Times Online, United Kingdom
Dalya Alberge: It covers an area the size of Cambridge but so far only a tiny proportion of the site of the First Emperor of China’s underground palace for the afterlife has been excavated.
- UNESCO heritage award to Adelaide icon
University of Adelaide News, Australia
Conservation work on Adelaide's historic Bonython Hall has earned the University of Adelaide international recognition, winning an Award of Merit in the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards in Bangkok, Thailand.
- Fossils belong to new great ape
BBC News, United Kingdom
Liz Seward: Nine fossilised teeth found in Ethiopia are from a previously unknown species of great ape, Nature journal reports.
21 August
- Exhibition Highlights Shared Heritage Of Islam, Judaism, Christianity
RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty
Jan Jun: Conflicts among the "Abrahamic faiths" of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam have shaped the history and culture of much of the world for centuries. But a new exhibition at London's British Library is highlighting their similarities in a bid to promote mutual respect and understanding.
- Le manioc figurait au menu des Mayas
Nouvel Obs.com, France
Des archéologues ont découvert en Amérique centrale les vestiges d’un champ de manioc, première preuve formelle de la culture et de la consommation de cette racine par les Mayas.
20 August
- Foro en Santa Cruz tratará el Patrimonio Inmaterial
Bolivia.com, Bolivia
El VIII Encuentro para la Promoción y Difusión del Patrimonio Inmaterial de Países Iberoamericanos, dedicado en esta ocasión a las Relaciones Interétnicas y Culturales, se desarrollará por primera vez en Bolivia, en la ciudad de Santa Cruz de la Sierra, entre el 9 y 14 de septiembre de 2007.
- What are we to do with heritage white elephants?
INQ7.net, Philippines
Augusto Villalon: Despite the growing campaign to save Philippine heritage, the honest truth is that a lot (or most) of the heritage structures we campaign to save are really white elephants.
- Ramón Oviedo: Un auténtico patrimonio cultural
Diario Digital, República Dominicana
Faustino Pérez: Segundo Reynoso y Arid Mejía no se equivocaron, cuando en letra de molde fueron los pioneros en llamarle a Ramón Oviedo maestro, en la década de los años 70. Ya para aquella época Oviedo se perfilaba como un gran artista, a raíz de su incorporación tardía a la plástica dominicana, y continuó evolucionando hasta convertirse hoy en día en un auténtico patrimonio cultural nacional viviente.
19 August
17 August
- Climate Change Threatens European Landmarks
NPR, United States
European researchers are now warning that severe damage from desertification and intense rains could pose to a threat to cultural heritage sites such as the Tower of London, the historic center of Prague and the ancient temples of Greece.
In Rome, the Tiber River flows below the Church of the Knights of Malta on the Aventine Hill. On the other bank is the 15th century building of San Michele, headquarters of the U.N.-backed International Center for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property.
Unit director Joseph King says that extreme changes in weather patterns could produce flooding, damaging not only individual buildings, but the city's entire urban fabric.
- La 3ème édition des Portes du temps est un succès
TV5 Monde, France
Plus de 35 000 jeunes de 4 à 17 ans accompagnés de leurs animateurs ont déjà franchi les Portes du Temps 2007, dans leur grande majorité pour la première fois. Presque 60% d'entre eux sont issus de quartiers urbains sensibles et 40% ne partent pas en vacances.
A mi-parcours, l'édition 2007 se révèle déjà un succès. Elle permet, en effet, à ces jeunes de découvrir, dans le cadre de la politique de la ville, un haut lieu du patrimoine culturel, parmi 14 sites emblématiques de l'histoire de France tout en y favorisant l'accès par des activités artistiques.
16 August
- Ancient UAE was an active trading hub
Xpress, United Kingdom
Derek Baldwin: An expert panel of archaeologists from around the world now claim the Arabian Peninsula – long thought to be a barren wasteland from around 5,000BC – was home to developed settlements during the same period.
- Fossiles contrariants
Nouvel Obs.com, France
La découverte de deux squelettes, près d’un lac Kenyan, remet en cause les hypothèses sur l’origine des premiers représentants du genre Homo.
- Comunidades de Caño Amarillo y El Calvario rescatan patrimonio histórico
Radio Nacional de Venezuela
El presidente del Instituto de Patrimonio Cultural, José Manuel Rodríguez, informó que las comunidades de Caño Amarillo y El Calvario reconocen la importancia del proyecto histórico-arqueológico del núcleo de desarrollo endógeno del eje turístico El Calvario.
15 August
- Metropolis: Angkor, the world's first mega-city
The Independent, United Kingdom
Kathy Marks: The discovery that the famous Cambodian temple complex sits in the midst of a vast settlement the size of London, which flourished until the 15th century, has astounded archaeologists - but also baffled them: why did it disappear?
- El legado de Mistral pasa a Chile
BBC Mundo.com
Unas cien cajas con pertenencias y documentos inéditos de la escritora chilena Gabriela Mistral, Premio Nobel de Literatura, que se encontraban en EE.UU. pasan a manos del gobierno de Chile.
14 August
- Musée des civilisations : « Vacances utiles » pour les enfants !
Top Visages.net
Pour bien amorcer les vacances et occuper sainement les enfants pendant cette période, le musée des civilisations de Côte d’Ivoire a initié durant un mois des activités cultuelles afin d’éduquer et d’instruire nos enfants sur le riche patrimoine culturel ivoirien.
- Map reveals ancient urban sprawl
BBC News, United Kingdom
The great medieval temple of Angkor Wat in Cambodia was once at the centre of a sprawling urban settlement, according to a new, detailed map of the area.
- Angkor, la grande
Nouvel Obs.com, France
Cachée sous la végétation se trouve les vestiges du plus grand ensemble urbain du monde antique. Difficile d’accès, cette zone a été révélée grâce à des photographies aériennes et des relevés de radars.
13 August
- Matsuura: al contemplar primeros minutos entendí por qué Festa es Patrimonio
Terra, Spain
El director general de la UNESCO, Koichiro Matsuura, dijo hoy sentirse 'muy emocionado y muy impresionado' tras contemplar el último ensayo general del Misteri d'Elx, e indicó que sólo con ver 'los primeros cinco minutos' de la representación entendió por qué la Festa fue declarada Patrimonio de la Humanidad.
- French museums agency established to progress Louvre Abu Dhabi
Al Bawada
A powerful new agency, represented by some of the most prominent cultural personalities in France, has been formed to steer the development of the planned Louvre Abu Dhabi, which is to be built in the Cultural District of Saadiyat Island – just 500 metres offshore the capital of the United Arab Emirates.
12 August
- Barbados, a maturing heritage and conservation environment
Barbados Advocate, Barbados
Speaking in great detail about what is considered to be a maturing environment for heritage and conservation, ICOM President and BMHS, Director, Allisandra Cummins drew reference to the incredible strides that have been and continue to be made on this small island.
- Mecca's Hallowed Skyline Transformed
The Guardian, United Kingdom
Salah Nasrawi (AP): These days it's easier to find a Cinnabon in Mecca than the house where the Prophet Muhammad was born.
- Ancient forest found in Hungary
BBC News, United Kingdom
An ancient forest of cypress trees, estimated to be eight million years old, has been discovered in Hungary.
11 August
- Big Ben silenced for repair work
BBC News, United Kingdom
The world famous bongs of London's Big Ben fell silent this morning.
Maintenance and cleaning work to the Westminster clock means the chimes will not be heard until September.
- Catálogo digitalizado sobre patrimonio artemiseño
Artemisa digital, Cuba
Un catálogo digitalizado sobre espacios y edificaciones de valor patrimonial, realizaron los especialistas del Departamento de Planeamiento, de la Dirección Municipal de Planificación Física de Artemisa, con el cual se crea una base de datos de gran acceso sobre la historia arquitectónica y urbanística del territorio.
10 August
- Looting fear as Iraqi state library seized
The Guardian, United Kingdom
Michael Howard in Irbil: Thousands of rare books and manuscripts in Iraq's national library and archive, one of the country's most important cultural institutions, are in peril after the occupation of the building by Iraqi security forces, the library's director said yesterday.
- The inspiration of this Utopian vision
The Independent, United Kingdom
Philip Hensher: The Unesco World Heritage Site programme seems an entirely benevolent one, and a programme run with intelligence and verve. It identifies and publicises places of natural beauty and examples of great works of art, but also moments of civilisation not attached to any particular name or of any obvious or conventional loveliness.
- Un cachet médiéval et un patrimoine à conserver
Le Matin.ma, Maroc
Les tanneries de l'ancienne Médina de Fès, avec leurs fosses multicolores et leur cachet médiéval, représentent un secteur d'attraction touristique par excellence (2,5 millions de touristes par an) et constitue également un ensemble de patrimoine culturel national qu'il faut conserver et valoriser.
- America's Extensive Islamic Heritage Detailed in Exhibitions
AllAfrica.com
Some years ago, Amir Muhammad began researching his family's roots without any thought that it might lead him to America's little-known Islamic heritage. Until then, he assumed that most American Muslims arrived in the 20th century, and he was unaware of any Islamic connection in his own family prior to his personal acceptance of Islam 35 years ago.
- Descubren estatua de Adriano
BBC Mundo, United Kingdom
Partes de una colosal estatua, exquisitamente tallada, del emperador romano Adriano fueron encontradas en un sitio arqueológico de Turquía.
9 August
- Peru: Breakthrough on Machu Picchu items
CNN, Unites States
Yale University will for the first time provide Peru with an inventory of thousands of artifacts taken from Machu Picchu 90 years ago, Peruvian officials said Thursday, as they work to have the objects returned.
- Integrated plans needed to preserve heritage sites
The Hindu, India
Integrated plans are needed for the preservation of tourist sites in old Srinagar city, recently included in the 100 most endangered heritage sites of the world by World Monument Fund (WMF), its Technical director Mark Weber said.
- Giant statue of Hadrian unearthed
BBC News, United Kingdom
Parts of a huge, exquisitely carved statue of the Roman Emperor Hadrian have been found at an archaeological site in south-central Turkey.
- Time stands still
BBC News Magazine, United Kingdom
Denise Winterman:
Engineering work starts on Big Ben on Saturday, silencing its famous chimes for a few weeks. But other public clocks have been stopped for much longer.
8 August
- Finds test human origins theory
BBC News, United Kingdom
James Urquhart: Two hominid fossils discovered in Kenya are challenging a long-held view of human evolution.
- Preserving the Digital Heritage: Principles and Policies
DigiKoans, United States (Scholarly Electronic Publishing Weblog)
The Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO and the European Commission on Preservation and Access have published Preserving the Digital Heritage: Principles and Policies.
- Réouverture du service des manuscrits de la bibliothèque
Le Matin.ma, Morocco
Le ministre de la Culture, Mohamed Achâari a procédé, mardi, à la réouverture du service des manuscrits de la bibliothèque de la Grande Mosquée de Meknès, après la restauration des manuscrits et leur mise en microfilms.
7 August
- Alexander's Gulf outpost uncovered
BBC News, United Kingdom
Neil Arun: Alexander the Great's awe-inspiring conquest of Asia is drawing archaeologists to a desert island off the shores of Iraq.
- Angkor - Protection du patrimoine et développement social
Le Petit Journal, Cambodge
En 1992, au sortir de la guerre, le site d’Angkor était inscrit sur la Liste du Patrimoine Mondial de l’UNESCO, en réponse à un appel pressant lancé quelques temps auparavant par celui qui était alors encore le Prince Norodom Sihanouk. La grande campagne de sauvegarde d’Angkor pouvait commencer. Retour sur 16 ans de combat pour la préservation d'un patrimoine unique.
- Illegally Exported Fossils Returned To Argentina
Scoop, New Zealand
The Australian Government has shown a strong commitment to stopping the flow of illegally exported cultural heritage by formally returning 130 kilograms of seized dinosaur and plant fossils to His Excellency Mr Pedro Villagra Delgado, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic.
- Harare's counter-culture cafe
BBC News, United Kingdom
Zimbabwe is a country in crisis and for a new generation astronomical inflation, empty supermarket shelves, fuel queues, power cuts, Aids, censorship and political violence have become the norm.
But the Book Cafe is one of the places that make the capital city Harare so
addictive, in spite of all the problems.
- China's Terracotta Army on the move
BBC News, United Kingdom
Quentin Sommerville: Emperor Qin Shihuang's army is on the move. Some of China's terracotta warriors are being loaned for a major exhibition at the British Museum in London.
6 August
- Famous fossil Lucy starts US tour
BBC News, United Kingdom
The oldest humanoid skeleton ever found has been taken out of Ethiopia for a controversial tour of American museums.
- Archaeologists in Mexico City find first tomb of Aztec ruler
The Guardian, United Kingdom
Jo Tuckman: Archaeologists believe they have made the first discovery of a tomb of an Aztec ruler. Radar equipment suggests the tomb has several chambers and lies 5 metres (15ft) below ground in a major ceremonial site in the heart of Mexico City.
4 August
- Investigan el patrimonio arquitectónico de toda la Patagonia
Rio Negro online, Argentina
Un equipo de 15 profesionales avanza en el relevamiento y diagnóstico del patrimonio urbano y rural de la región en el marco de un trabajo que será experiencia piloto para mejorar la conservación de monumentos y edificios históricos.
- X-ray reveals lost Van Gogh work
The Guardian, United Kingdom
Art historians knew of Vincent Van Gogh's drawing, stored at the Van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam, but had always wondered whether it was a copy of a painting.
- Venezuela's four-legged mobile libraries
BBC News, United Kingdom
A university in Venezuela is using a novel method to take books into remote communities and encourage people to read. As James Ingham reports, the scheme is proving a great success.
3 August
- Protección del patrimonio cultural
El Diario de Hoy, El Salvador
Yanira Soundy: Este día repasaremos un poco el tema de las convenciones suscritas por nuestro país en materia de protección al patrimonio cultural.
2 August
- 3500 year old frescos discovered in the region of Batna
Echorouk Online, Algeria
An important archaeological discovery has been made recently in the region of Batna (east of Algeria) which consists in prehistoric frescos that date back to some 3500 years. Local experts are asking for the immediate intervention of the minister of culture to send international experts to study the site, because of the importance of this discovery.
- 5600-year-old tinder device unearthed
People's Daily Online, China
Archaeological staff recently unearthed a tinder device made in 5600 years ago in Luoyang, which was used as fire storage devices. This is the first discovery of tinder device made in the Neolithic Age. Experts said it helps us understand how people store tinder in the Neolithic Age 5,000-6,000 years ago.
1 August
- Difundirán exposición sobre riqueza del patrimonio ferroviario
El Financiero en linea, Mexico
Con el objeto de dar a concocer la riqueza del acervo que guarda el patrimonio cultural ferrocarrilero en México, el Centro de Documentación e Investigación Ferroviaria (CEDIF), que cumple 10 años de trabajo, iniciará en breve la tercera época de su boletín documental.
updated on:
25 August, 2008
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