Stop Press

A compilation of media articles on heritage topics. Obviously, these all reflect the viewpoints of the authors.

31 May

• The victory of the void, a defeat for the Taliban
  The Art Newspaper
  The Bamiyan Buddhas will not be rebuilt, says Unesco. The architect Andrea Bruno proposes a scheme that focuses reverently on their absence.

30 May

• Jamaica, archaeologists seek world heritage status for remains of submerged port city
  Washington Post, United States
  Archaeologists said Tuesday that they’ll ask the United Nations’ cultural agency to bestow world heritage status on Port Royal, the mostly submerged remains of a historic Jamaican port known as the “wickedest city on Earth” more than three centuries ago.

28 May

• Outrage over plan to dump rubbish at Hadrian's villa World Heritage site
  Belfast Telegraph, United Kingdom
  Emperor Hadrian, the famously cultured Hellophile, is probably spinning in his tomb by the banks of the Tiber.

26 May

• Sri Lanka to impose severe penalties for vandalizing artifacts
  Colombo Page, Sri Lanka
  Sri Lanka Minister of National Heritage Jagath Balasuriya says steps will be taken to amend the Antiquities Ordinance soon to prevent treasure hunting in the country.

22 May

• Learning country through our eyes - Dave Johnston
  ABC Science, Australia
  Indigenous archaeologist Dave Johnston believes he has an obligation to help his people protect their dreaming sites and share their stories with all Australians.

21 May

• Italy quake devastates area's historical heritage
  Reuters
  Residents of some small northern Italian towns hit by Sunday's quake may have all survived, but the tremor that shook them to their foundations reduced their artistic and architectural riches to rubble.

• Séisme : des joyaux du patrimoine italien anéantis
  Le Figaro, France
  Alors que plus de 3000 personnes se retrouvent sans foyer dans le nord-est de l'Italie par crainte des répliques du séisme de dimanche, le pays découvre de terribles pertes historiques et architecturales.

• Bali’s ‘Subak’ Technique Makes Unesco World Heritage List
  Jakarta Globe, Indonesia
  Unesco has named Bali’s traditional “subak” irrigation system as a world-heritage activity, a minister said on Monday.

20 May

• Q: What do Syria and Mali have in common? A: Pillage of archeological sites
  Middle East Online
  Experts have been unable to assess damage to historic treasures in Mali, Syria caused by rebellions which have added to cultural chaos left by Arab uprisings.

19 May

• 'Cursing stone' found on Isle of Canna
  BBC, United Kingdom
  A stone discovered by chance on the Isle of Canna is Scotland's first known example of a bullaun "cursing stone", experts have revealed.

18 May

• Afghan archeologist pleads for help to save treasures
  The Australian, Australia
  to save his country's precious cultural heritage from being destroyed, looted or lost to corruption, warfare and religious intolerance, Afghan archeologist Abdul Wasey Feroozi is on a mission to persuade the world to support efforts to retrieve, restore and protect the ancient treasures.

• Art Museum Day
  Huffington Post, United States
  A few days ago, while sitting with a small group of museum directors talking about how to engage the next generation of museum visitors, I could not help but remember a series of conversations I have had over the past few years with my son that began with the phrase "because I am the parent and you are the child."

15 May

• How to Uncover Underwater Artifacts
  New York Times, United States
  Five-gallon buckets are so very useful. Little did I think we would use them to explore ancient Maya offerings underwater.

11 May

• Northern Ireland's crumbling heritage
  Belfast Telegraph, United Kingdom
  Survey of at-risk historic buildings is so far behind schedule it’s feared many will disappear before report is completed.

• Culture Ministry insists Ayutthaya ruins to remain world heritage
  Pattaya Mail, Thailand
  Culture Minister Sukumol Khunploem has played down a report about the Ayutthaya ruins topping the list of the 10 most endangered heritage sites in Asia, noting that the report was not prepared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

• 10 Museum Tweeters To Know Right Now
  Huffington Post, United States
  It's National Museum Month, and we're keeping the momentum going on HuffPost Culture with a new reason to love museums every week.

10 May

• Conservation courses: Breathe life into old treasures
  The Independent, United Kingdom
  The broken artefacts of history can be restored to their former glory using the skills you will learn on a conservation course.

• Maya art and calendar at Xultun stun archaeologists
  BBC, United Kingdom
  Archaeologists working at the Xultun ruins of the Maya civilisation have reported striking finds, including the oldest-known Mayan astronomical tables.

9 May

• Smallest mammoths found on Crete
  BBC, United Kingdom
  The smallest mammoth ever known to have existed roamed the island of Crete millions of years ago, researchers say.

5 May

• Mali Islamists attack UNESCO holy site in Timbuktu
  Reuters
  Malian fighters from the Ansar Dine Islamist group attacked and burned the tomb of one of the town's saints, classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, residents and a regional official said on Saturday.

• Tribal gathering celebrates unifying culture of an ancient game
  Seattle Times, United States
  They brought drums and songs from their families east and west of the Cascades, and stories of the tradition that unites them: Sla-hal, a game so ancient many here believe it was played with carved mastodon bones found near Wenatchee.

3 May

• 5300-year-old mummy produces world's oldest blood test
  New Zealand Herald
  Scientists have discovered what is thought to be the oldest human blood ever to be found - on the body of a 5300-year-old mummy.

• Afghan museum highlights country's Buddhist heritage
  AFP, France
  Afghanistan, which achieved global notoriety for cultural barbarism when the Taliban blew up the ancient Bamiyan Buddhas, this week opened an exhibition highlighting the country's rich Buddhist heritage.

2 May

• Syrian heritage sites damaged
  Emirates 24/7, United Arab Emirates
  Syria's turmoil is threatening the country's rich archaeological heritage, experts warn.

updated on: 1 June, 2012