Evolution of the facades and some tricks of shaping in the mature period of eclecticism, as exemplified by the Zlokazov and Pereyaslavtsev houses in Yekaterinburg

For many years, the management of cultural heritage sites and the designation of some of them as World Heritage Sites in Africa were based on European ideas of conservation and this disconnected many African local communities from their cultural heritage sites. As a result, local African communities living near cultural heritage sites were not involved in their conservation and management. Discourses on the administration of cultural heritage sites in many African countries, such as Botswana South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe, are now making it possible to engage local people in the management of these sites (see, for example, Pwiti 1997; Musiba and Mabulla 2003). Not only do these discussions bring great prestige to the African States Parties whose sites are designated as World Heritage properties but they are also now making it possible for the local communities to economically benefit from them. Part of the strategy of sustainable management of cultural World Heritage Sites now includes creating opportunities for the local communities to be involved in tourism activities so as to economically empower them and improve their lives. In this chapter, I discuss the administration of cultural World Heritage Sites in Africa and their contribution to the economic empowerment of local communities which subsist near these sites. I use the planned development of paleoanthropological sites of Laetoli and Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania as examples to show how local communities can benefit from cultural World Heritage Sites.KeywordsAfricaCultural heritage managementLaetoliHominin footprintsTanzania

On-site heritage interpretation plays a vital role in cultural heritage sites in conveying the significance and multiple heritage values to the visitors. In an era where the world is transforming with innovative digital applications, the heritage sites are also being integrated with digital interpretation techniques to deliver a better interpretation and new dimensional experience to the visitors. Though multiple digital solutions are available, not all the techniques are appropriate, applicable and feasible to every site. Besides, neither proper worldwide principles nor framework has been exerted for these digital heritage interpretation developments. Therefore, this study is focused on building a generic conceptual framework to select the most appropriate digital interpretation technique(s) that fit the context of the heritage site, giving special reference to the six Cultural World Heritage Sites of Sri Lanka. The relevant qualitative and quantitative data were gathered via in-depth interviews, field observation, literature survey and a visitor survey questionnaire. The main themes and sub-themes derived through the thematic analysis were adopted as the theoretical framework for the research to analyze the collected data of the six Cultural World Heritage Sites and the selected digital techniques. Based on the results, the study recommends appropriate digital techniques for each Cultural World Heritage Sites of the country. Further as aimed, the study presents a conceptual framework for on-site digital interpretation developments for cultural heritage sites by categorizing the 24 criteria derived for data analysis under five phases namely ‘Prepare’, ‘Assess’, ‘Design’, ‘Implement’ and ‘Sustain’.

The TRIQUETRA EU research project embarks on a pioneering initiative aimed at enhancing climate change (CC) resilience in Cultural Heritage (CH) sites. Within the scope of TRIQUETRA, certain provisions have been made for studying the geological and historical climatic data towards risk identification that the pilot CH sites of the project are facing.  The geological risk quantification was based on monitoring and modelling approaches to classify the intensity of geohazards related to ground instabilities, earthquake-induced effects, coastal retreat, sea-waves, water runoff, wind storms, wildfires etc. Digital twins derived by in-filed monitoring and surveying are assumed at the basis of geohazard quantification. Similarly, the assessment of historical climatic information has been based on observations and a multi-model ensemble of high-resolution Regional Climatic Model (RCM) simulations, aiming to identify potential risks at the selected CH sites. The datasets will be used for further experimentation, and continuous collection of new data will take place throughout the course of the project, serving towards the proposal of mitigation action against the CC-induced risks. Similarly, emphasis was given to gather information from past initiatives and directives to create a node of reference for the future, crucial for understanding the vulnerabilities of CH sites in the face of CC. An extensive literature review on CC and other risks and mitigation measures for CH sites worldwide has been made, in addition to gathering of existing and historical site-specific data, identification of geological conditions at CH sites and classification of geological hazards associated with environmental and climatological data that pose direct or indirect risks to the pilot CH sites.The development of the TRIQUETRA Knowledge Base platform (an electronic repository) based on the retrieved data, accompanied by advanced search tools and a “Self Service Portal” hosted on the project website (https://triquetra-project.eu/), ensures that contents related to CC, geological conditions, historical data, site-specific information, as well as risks and mitigation measures for CH sites are discoverable for future decision-making actions. The Knowledge Base platform includes a dedicated database and a WEBGIS platform, which store collected data in a common geospatial database providing a secure environment, which has an open access policy and will offer further analysis beyond the end of the project.The above lay the groundwork for holistic research to CC resilience in CH sites. The findings presented herein not only advance the objectives of the TRIQUETRA project but also offer insights that can guide future research in the preservation of global CH in the face of an ever-evolving climate.

Abstract. One of the most significant consequences of climate change is the threat to cultural heritage sites. The TRIQUETRA project addresses the critical challenge posed by climate change to cultural heritage sites by applying a comprehensive risk assessment framework. This framework integrates traditional and advanced technologies, including remote sensing and laser-based spectroscopy, to quantify the severity of risks, monitor their progression, and inform effective mitigation strategies. Understanding the potential risks at site level is vital to ensure that appropriate adaptation and mitigation measures are put in place. Recent research underscores the compounded impacts of climate-induced geo-hazards, such as landslides and earthquakes, which threaten the physical integrity of monuments and the socio-economic systems they support. Citizen engagement is also an integral part of the TRIQUETRA project, creating a dynamic web and mobile platform where visitors actively participate in cultural heritage (CH) site monitoring. The TRIQUETRA application enables citizens and cultural heritage site visitors to play a vital role in capturing and uploading site photos, contributing therefore, valuable datasets that complement and enhance the existing 3D models. This process is aided by a backend system that can aid cultural site authorities to better monitor the site by having up to date imagery and reports from visitors. At the same time the TRIQUETRA Citizen Engagement Application creates an interactive and enhanced experience for cultural heritage site visitors through immersive Augmented Reality (AR) experiences. The application provides additional information through an AR experience where user can learn more about critical features at risk, such as areas affected by climate change or structural vulnerabilities, fostering awareness and promoting preservation efforts. The methodology was applied to the Choirokoitia site in Cyprus, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as it is one of the best-preserved Neolithic sites in the Mediterranean. The Choirokoitia site will examine the potential risk of rockfall, as the topology of the site is vulnerable to movements as a result of extreme climate change as well as of daily/seasonal stressing actions. By integrating advanced technologies and community-driven monitoring, TRIQUETRA ensures a holistic approach to safeguarding cultural heritage. The project creates a replicable framework that enhances risk assessment and promotes active participation in preservation efforts, offering scalable benefits for cultural heritage sites worldwide.

Historical cultural heritage sites are valuable for all of mankind, as they reflect the material and spiritual wealth of by nations, countries, or specific groups during the development of human civilization. The types and functions of microorganisms that form biofilms on the surfaces of architectural heritage sites influence measures to preserve and protect these sites. These microorganisms contribute to the biocorrosion of architectural heritage structures through the cycling of chemical elements. The ancient city wall of Shou County is a famous architectural and cultural heritage site from China's Song Dynasty, and the protection and study of this site have substantial historical and cultural significance. In this study, we used metagenomics to study the microbial diversity and taxonomic composition of the Song Dynasty city wall in Shou County, a tangible example of Chinese cultural heritage. The study covered three main topics: (1) examining the distribution of bacteria in the biofilm on the surfaces of the Song Dynasty city wall in Shou County; (2) predicting the influence of bacteria involved in the C, N, and S cycles on the corrosion of the city wall via functional gene analysis; and (3) discussing cultural heritage site protection measures for biocorrosion-related bacteria to investigate the impact of biocorrosion on the Song Dynasty city wall in Shou County, a tangible example of Chinese cultural heritage. The study revealed that (1) the biofilm bacteria mainly belonged to Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, Cyanobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes, which accounted for more than 70% of the total bacteria in the biofilms. The proportion of fungi in the microbial community of the well-preserved city wall was greater than that in the damaged city wall. The proportion of archaea was low-less than 1%. (2) According to the Shannon diversity index, the well-preserved portion of the ancient city wall had the highest diversity of bacteria, fungi, and archaea, and bacterial diversity on the good city wall was greater than that on the corroded city wall. (3) Bray-Curtis distances revealed that the genomes of the two good city walls were similar and that the genomes of the corroded city wall portions were similar. Researchers also detected human intestine-related bacteria in four locations on the city walls, with the proportion of these bacteria in the microbial community being greater on good city walls than on bad city walls. (4) KEGG functional analysis revealed that the energy metabolism and inorganic ion transport activities of the bacterial community on the corroded city wall were greater than those of the good city wall. (5) In the carbon cycle, the absence of active glycolysis, the ED pathway, and the TCA cycle played significant roles in the collapse of the east city wall. (6) The nitrogen cycling processes involved ammonia oxidation and nitrite reduction to nitrate. (7) In the sulfur cycle, researchers discovered a crucial differential functional gene, SoxY, which facilitates the conversion of thiosulfate to sulfate. This study suggests that, in the future, biological approaches can be used to help cultural heritage site protectors achieve targeted and precise protection of cultural relics through the use of microbial growth inhibition technology. The results of this study serve as a guide for the protection of cultural heritage sites in other parts of China and provide a useful supplement to research on the protection of world cultural heritage or architectural heritage sites.

Cultural heritage (CH) sites face increasing risks from climate change (CC) and various hazards, posing threats such as rising sea levels, extreme weather events, and environmental degradation, endangering their preservation and long-term existence. A lot of research has been done on protecting CH sites, but we still lack systemic approaches towards identifying and mitigating risks to CH sites. The TRIQUETRA EU research project proposes a technological toolbox and a methodological framework for tackling climate change risks and natural hazards threatening CH, in the most efficient way possible. The main strategic objectives of TRIQUETRA include: the creation of a repository of knowledge on effects of CC and natural hazards on CH, including lessons learnt from existing mitigation measures; the implementation of a systemic approach towards identification of upcoming risks and hazards to CH; and the usage of novel technologies allowing efficient and accurate quantification of threats to CH.The TRIQUETRA project’s methodology is structured around three fundamental stages: (i) identifying risks, (ii) quantifying risks, and (iii) mitigating risks, forming what is known as the “trifecta” approach. This approach constructs a robust framework for evaluating and addressing the following categories of risks: (i) climate-related risks; (ii) extreme water, snow and ice hazard risks; (iii) geological and geophysical risks; and (iv) chemical and biological hazard risks. Furthermore, it assesses the damage and failure modes of CH structures as well as the compounded effects of various environmental stressors on CH sites. TRIQUETRA will be validated in eight different CH sites across Europe. The main project results can be summarized as follows:a novel risk quantification framework for CH sites; an expanded knowledge base platform; a decision-support platform (TRIQUETRA DSS) including risk severity quantification tools and mitigation measure selection and optimization tools; novel protective materials; a novel flash LiDAR; water quality analysers; and a CH site digitization framework.

Within the framework of TRIQUETRA (Toolbox for assessing and mitigating Climate Change risks and natural hazards threatening cultural heritage; https://triquetra-project.eu/) research project, meteorological data from weather stations (observations) as well as simulations from regional climate models (RCMs) have been analyzed to assess recent past and future climate change over eight cultural heritage (CH) sites in six countries. From South to North the CH sites are Choirokoitia in Cyprus, Aegina, Epidaurus, and Kalapodi in Greece, Ventotene in Italy, Les Argilliez in Switzerland, Roseninsel in Germany, and Smuszewo in Poland. The observations were acquired from weather stations (from various networks) with long meteorological records at the proximity of the examined CH sites, while the RCM data come from the EURO-CORDEX. More specifically, 11 sets of high resolution (~12.5 km) RCM simulations were analyzed, covering the historical period 1950-2005 and the future period 2006-2100 under three different Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs) of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), namely the RCP2.6 (strong greenhouse gas mitigation), RCP4.5 (medium mitigation), and RCP8.5 (no further mitigation). The climate analysis over the recent-past period 1970-2020 revealed a robust warming and increasing of heat stress at the materials of the CH assets. Furthermore, the multi-model climate analysis based on the RCM simulations for the three different future scenarios points towards a hotter and drier future climate for the CH sites at the South and a hotter and wetter climate for the CH sites in the North. Analysis of the Heritage Outdoor Microclimate Risk (HMRout) and Predicted Risk of Damage (PRD) indices over the recent past period indicates notable variations in microclimate conditions with aggravation of heat stress at CH assets made of stone and marble, pointing towards an increase in predicted risk of damage. Analyzing the future changes in HMRout and PRD indices based on the multi-model ensembles of RCM simulations for the three different future scenarios will provide a more comprehensive understanding of how the resilience of materials and the overall preservation of stone and marble CH sites may be affected.This work is based on procedures and tasks implemented within the project “Toolbox for assessing and mitigating Climate Change risks and natural hazards threatening cultural heritage - TRIQUETRA”, which is a Project funded by the EU HE research and innovation programme under GA No. 101094818.

Visual impact of wind farms on cultural heritage: A Norwegian case study

Synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery has long been used in archaeology since the earliest space radar missions in the 1980s. In the current scenario of SAR missions, the Italian Space Agency (ASI)’s COnstellation of small Satellites for Mediterranean basin Observation (COSMO-SkyMed) has peculiar properties that make this mission of potential use by archaeologists and heritage practitioners: high to very high spatial resolution, site revisit of up to one day, and conspicuous image archives over cultural heritage sites across the globe. While recent literature and the number of research projects using COSMO-SkyMed data for science and applied research suggest a growing interest in these data, it is felt that COSMO-SkyMed still needs to be further disseminated across the archaeological remote sensing community. This paper therefore offers a portfolio of use-cases that were developed in the last two years in the Scientific Research Unit of ASI, where COSMO-SkyMed data were analysed to study and monitor cultural landscapes and heritage sites. SAR-based applications in archaeological and cultural heritage sites in Peru, Syria, Italy, and Iraq, provide evidence on how subsurface and buried features can be detected by interpreting SAR backscatter, its spatial and temporal changes, and interferometric coherence, and how SAR-derived digital elevation models (DEM) can be used to survey surface archaeological features. The use-cases also showcase how high temporal revisit SAR time series can support environmental monitoring of land surface processes, and condition assessment of archaeological heritage and landscape disturbance due to anthropogenic impact (e.g., agriculture, mining, looting). For the first time, this paper provides an overview of the capabilities of COSMO-SkyMed imagery in StripMap Himage and Spotlight-2 mode to support archaeological studies, with the aim to encourage remote sensing scientists and archaeologists to search for and exploit these data for their investigations and research activities. Furthermore, some considerations are made with regard to the perspectives opened by the upcoming launch of ASI’s COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation constellation.

Cultural heritage is a main issue for the identity of different nations. In the 21st century, the increasing urbanization of the world coupled with global issues of environmental degradation, economic restructuring and social exclusion, demand that we take a deeper look of the future of cultural and heritage sites. Arondizogu community is made up of so many historic sites, however most of these cultural heritage sites are partially or completely deteriorated due to lack of proper planning, development and documentation, hence modernization theory of development was employed in the study. Cultural heritage and historic sites have lost their dynamism especially during the recent years necessitating the urgent need for development. As cultural heritage sites are considered as a part of a nation's assets, Nigeria must reconsider her way of planning, managing, developing and conserving these sites. Therefore this paper attempts to explore the possibility of using the potentials of cultural heritage sites as a resource to boost tourism development thereby increasing our national income through good management. Findings were made through interviews and personal observations, the study was concluded by recommending proposed guideline planning methodology for government, NGOs, and conservation specialists etc, which will help them in establishing a sustainable cultural heritage sites.

Unfreezing the past: near Pan-Svalbard assessment of cryospheric hazards to Arctic cultural heritage.

Introduction: The issue of preserving historical and cultural heritage is currently highly relevant. The restoration of ancient architectural structures, preservation of their historical appearance, and adaptation to new functions constitute an important step forward towards that goal. Considering the situation with cultural heritage sites in Ryazan, we should note that the city really needs such measures. Many historical, cultural, and architectural monuments have been lost and continue to be destroyed because of incompetent interference with their architectural-and-planning structure (demolition, unauthorized reconstruction, etc.). Purpose of the study: We aimed to describe the specifics of the preservation, restoration, and adaptation of cultural and historical heritage sites to modern needs. Methods: In the course of the study, we used a systemic approach, analyzed various sources and materials on the restoration and protection of historical and architectural monuments. Results: In the paper, we consider a particular example from the architectural practice of adapting a part of an ancient structure to modern use. The paper gives a brief historical background and information on the structures and materials used, discusses methods and technological solutions, analyzes design solutions. Based on the results of the works conducted, we determine issues of adapting a recognized cultural heritage site to modern living conditions and using it in a new capacity in accordance with the applicable regulatory documents. When facing the issue of adapting historical buildings that have lost their original function, it is necessary to perform works without changing their protected features. Within the framework of cultural heritage site preservation, a concept has been developed to serve as the basis for its conversion and operation as a cafe.

Abstract. This paper presents the importance of using Earth observation to assess the impact of fire events on monitoring cultural heritage sites. The use of sensors such as Sentinel 2 can detect burnt areas in order to determine the extent of fire events on cultural heritage sites, using the fire event in Arakapas, Cyprus as a case study. Sentinel-2 is a multispectral optical sensor acquiring information in a range extending from the visible up to the short-wave infrared, which is the most sensitive spectral range for the detection of damages caused by fire. Sentinel-2 can support cultural heritage monitoring and assessment allowing rapid revisit of any site of interest using pre- and post-event images, where burned areas can be detected with change detection techniques coupled with suitable, spectral indices. Such derived products assist in quickly raising awareness on the endangerment of cultural and natural heritage sites and landscapes, emphasising the importance of Earth observation data for monitoring natural hazards for the protection of valuable cultural heritage sites.

Cultural heritage sites, tourism and regional economic resilience

This article is a continuation of the author’s series of publications devoted to the study of the resource potential of archaeological artifacts — sites of ancient and medieval heritage as anthropogenic components of modern geoecosystems of the Northern Black Sea coast (GESNBSC) and the nearby Black Sea shelf including the estuaries. These sites are currently partially or fully located in the transitional part of the Black Sea Geoecosystem (BSG) space and associated geoecological subsystems of estuaries, where modern natural aerial, aquatic and geological environmental subsystems interface with each other. The article presents the results of research, characterization and typification of archaeological sites of the cultural heritage of ancient and medieval times, which are located in the space of geoecosystems that were formed in this region. Among them are the underwater archaeological sites dis- covered in the space of ancient coastal and littoral paleogeoecosystems of the Bug Estuary, their connection with the most significant archaeological sites that were once formed as part of geoecosystems of the land. A preliminary reconstruction of the borders of the Bug Estuary in ancient and medieval times is made; there is demonstrated the resource archaeological potential of GESNBSC spaces and the adjacent zone of the Black Sea shelf with estuaries, including the ancient and medieval archaeo- logical sites of cultural heritage, which were created and for some time belonged to the spaces of cer- tain paleo-GESNBSC, but are now located in the space of modern geoecosystem of the Bug Estuary. The article gives a brief description of the already known archaeological, partially submerged sites of ancient and medieval cultural heritage, some other interesting underwater archaeological artifacts, and shows the feasibility of expanding their study with reference to bathymetric and geomorphological features of the boundaries between modern natural BSG environmental subsystems. Such knowledge is important both for solving the issues related to a more profound understanding of the causes and consequences of changes in the paleogeoecological and modern geoecological conditions of the shelf of Azov-Black Sea basin and GESNBSC, predicting their dynamics and directions of development, and for historical and archaeological reconstructions, in particular, to identify new cultural heritage sites. The results of geoarchaeological (that is, a complex of geoecological and archaeological) studies published in the article are important not only for understanding the formation and functioning of transitional geoecosystems with their resources, which include archaeological artifacts as anthropogenic components, but also for the development of public culture, historical memory population and expansion of its historical consciousness. In addition, such knowledge is necessary to consciously and competently address a number of economic problems in the development of communities in the Northern Black Sea region. In particular, to attract investment in the development of coastal and underwater tourism, to predict the impact of many geo-environmental processes inherent in the research region under specific conditions of the search, identification, use and preservation of the historical and archaeological potential of ancient and medieval cultural heritage located in the space of modern GESNBSC and BSG as their components. These anthropogenic components are objective evidence of the impact of natural geo-environ- mental conditions and their dynamics on the peculiarities of life and migration of the region’s inhabitants from ancient times up to the present.