Cultural Sites Research Articles

Degradation of reburied archaeological wood piles after preservative treatment for twenty years

This study investigated the degradation mechanism and microbial communities of a reburied stone-fixed wooden pile (SP) after being excavated and treated with pentachlorophenol/polyethylene glycol (PCP/PEG) preservatives for a 20-year period at the Jin Zhongdu Watergate Heritage Cultural Site. High-throughput sequencing (HTS) techniques were combined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrum analysis, and quantitative chemical analyses. A foundation wooden pile (FP) forming the watergate supports, which has been in service for nearly 870 years at the site, was also examined. The results showed that preservatives still partially remained in the SP after burial. More abundant and richer microbial communities were found in the SP (including brown rot, soft rot, white rot fungi and bacteria) due to the hydrophilic PEG providing more favorable habitats for microbial. Therefore, it was indicated that the PCP had gradually lost its antibacterial function. Although brown rot fungi had not been detected using HTS, typical morphological characteristics were observed in the FP using SEM, thereby the characteristics of brown rot fungi were the results of previous decay. The absence of brown rot may have been attributed the competition among wood rot fungi.

Chiral Reticular Chemistry: A Tailored Approach Crafting Highly Porous and Hydrolytically Robust Metal-Organic Frameworks for Intelligent Humidity Control.

Control of humidity within confined spaces is critical for maintaining air quality and human well-being, with implications for environments ranging from international space stations and pharmacies to granaries and cultural relic preservation sites. However, existing techniques rely on energy-intensive electrically driven equipment or complex temperature and humidity control (THC) systems, resulting in imprecision and inconvenience. The development of innovative techniques and materials capable of simultaneously meeting the stringent requirements of practical applications holds the key to creating intelligent and energy-efficient humidity control devices. In this study, we introduce chiral reticular chemistry as a tailored synthetic approach, targeting a highly porous hea topological framework characterized by intrinsic interpenetrating pore architecture. This groundbreaking design successfully circumvents the traditional compromise between the pore volume and hydrolytic stability. Our metal-organic framework (MOF) exhibits an extraordinary working capacity, setting a new record at 1.35 g g-1 within the relative humidity (RH) range of 40-60%, without exhibiting hysteresis. Consequently, it emerges as a state-of-the-art candidate for intelligent humidity regulation within confined spaces. Utilizing single-crystal X-ray measurements and molecular simulations, we unequivocally elucidate the mechanism of water clustering and pore filling, underscoring the pivotal role of the linker functionality in governing the water seeding process. Our findings represent a significant advancement in the field, paving the way for the development of highly efficient humidity control technologies and offering promising solutions for diverse real-world scenarios.

Microclimate Analysis of Outdoor Showcases in Tropical Climate—Two Case Studies in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Al Ain, near Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, is characterized by hot desert climate with high temperatures, aridity, and almost no rain. Several truncated earthen walls were discovered at the historic house of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Khalifa, a component of the World Heritage Cultural Sites. These remains are preserved in situ, outdoors, protected in glass showcases for public display. As this situation is not documented in the literature, the local Authority has requested to study the showcase environment to optimize conservation. The solar radiation and the projected shades have been modeled over one year; the temperature and humidity inside and outside the showcases, as well as the moisture content, have been measured to assess the potential preservation risks. The paper presents the results, i.e., the direct solar radiation generates extreme conditions of greenhouse effect with extremely high temperatures and forces evaporation from the remains. During the night, the excess moisture condenses on the inner surface of the glass panes, forming large drops that affect viewing and are dangerous for conservation. The repetition of evaporation–condensation cycles accumulates soluble salts on the remains. The paper discusses mitigation strategies (e.g., shading, ventilation, and cooling, to reduce the greenhouse effect) to improve conservation and fruition.

Biblical Gilgal: A Common Place Name or a Cult Site near Jericho?

An analysis of the biblical references mentioning the place name Gilgal indicates that they all denote a single site—namely, the cult site located east of Jericho. References to Gilgal that seemingly allude to other sites resulted either from scribal errors or from scholarly misinterpretation of the biblical text. Moreover, gilgal as a noun for a kind of settlement never appears in the Bible. Hence, the plural form gilgals sometimes used by archaeologists to designate elliptical or round sites enclosed by a massive or narrow stone wall are misleading and should best be abandoned. On the contrary, Gilgal was the exclusive name of a major Israelite cult centre located near the main road that passed from Jericho to Transjordan. The cult site operated in the pre-monarchical and monarchical periods, but ceased to function in the late monarchical period, possibly during the reign of King Josiah.

Altered place engagement since COVID-19: A multi-method study of community participation and health among older americans

Little is known about longer-term changes to community participation since the COVID-19 pandemic onset and potential implications for health and wellbeing in later life. This multi-method investigation analyzes national data from the COVID-19 Coping Study. Statistical analyses of survey data (n = 1,630; mean age 67.9 years; data collected April/May 2022) identified that adults residing in the US still tended to stay inside their homes more often since the pandemic onset. Overall, participants decreased their engagement with amenities such as eateries, gyms, and arts and cultural sites. Reflexive thematic analysis of semi-structured in-depth interviews (n = 57; mean age 70.7 years; data collected May-July 2021) identified altered community participation with perceived long-term impacts on physical, mental, and social health and wellbeing. The results provide novel insights about the critical nature of ‘third places’ to support later life, and policy implications to strengthen community environments. Investment in outdoor, well-ventilated, and distanced third places may support wellbeing.

Mobile application for independent tourism as a virtual guide to city attractions

Domestic tourism in our country is becoming an important tool for the development of regional economy. It covers all spheres of society, including culture, economy and social life. To stimulate domestic tourism by regions, it is necessary to update existing routes and create new ones. To develop new tourist routes, one of the effective approaches is the use of augmented reality technology. It allows to create interactive tourist routes that enrich the tourist experience of visitors to cities. The use of augmented reality technology allows to significantly diversify the leisure time of a tourist when visiting various cultural sites.

ТУРИСТИЧНІ ШЛЯХИ ЯК ЗАСІБ ПОПУЛЯРИЗАЦІЇ КУЛЬТУРНОЇ СПАДЩИНИ

The article presents the results of research on the prospects for developing tourist routes. In the modern world, where globalization and rapid technological advancement significantly alter our way of life, the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage gain particular importance. A crucial task today is the preservation and promotion of national cultural heritage. One of the effective ways to achieve this goal is the development of tourist routes, which not only preserve historical and cultural sites but also make them accessible to a wide audience. Cultural heritage can serve as an important factor in the development of tourism and the economy. Tourist routes not only contribute to the preservation and promotion of historical and cultural landmarks but also foster regional economic growth by attracting tourists. Research on these routes helps create conditions for the sustainable development of tourism. This is especially important in the context of globalization and the growing interest in cultural tourism, which allows countries and regions to maintain their identity and cultural uniqueness. Research on tourist routes helps identify new opportunities for infrastructure development, the creation of new jobs, and the improvement of the quality of life for local residents. Cultural tourism is a form of tourism that focuses on the cultural aspects of a destination, including its history, heritage, arts, customs, and traditions. It involves visiting places of historical or cultural significance, such as museums, galleries, historical sites, and cultural festivals, with the intent to learn about and experience the local culture and lifestyle. Tourist routes are a powerful means of promoting cultural heritage. By providing structured and engaging ways for visitors to experience cultural sites, these routes help preserve and celebrate the unique cultural identities of different regions. They offer educational benefits, support local economies, and foster a deeper appreciation for cultural diversity and heritage. The article characterizes the main forms of tourist routes, highlighting their role in the preservation of cultural heritage.

The Impacts of COVID-19 Pandemic on Heritage Tourism in Malaysia:A Review

Over the past several decades, the tourism industry centered on cultural sites has evolved into one of the most active and rapidly increasing economic sectors across the globe. This is especially true in countries that are home to a large number of heritage monuments. According to reports provided by the Minister of Tourism, Arts, and Culture, the cultural tourism industry contributed 551 million Malaysian Ringgit (MYR) to the country's economy over the course of the preceding three (3) years prior to the COVID-19 epidemic. In addition, more than seventeen (17) million individuals participated in cultural tourism events during that period. However, ever since the COVID-19 pandemic happened, the tourism heritage business in Malaysia has undergone a big economic collapse economically. As a result, the earnings of a great number of individuals have suffered as a result of this. This article presents a brief investigation of how the COVID-19 outbreak has impacted Malaysia's heritage tourism industry by doing a thorough evaluation of existing studies and statistics from the local government and offering an analysis of the findings. According to the findings of this study, the revenue generated by the heritage tourism industry in Malaysia dropped by an amount equivalent to 50% in the year 2020 compared to the previous year. In addition, there was a decline of more than one hundred thousand (100,000) jobs in sectors of the economy that are directly connected to tourism. It is common knowledge that the COVID-19 outbreak has caused enormous losses for the economy of the country; despite this, the findings of this study shed light on the extent to which these losses damage the economic viability of the heritage tourism sector.

The Dichotomy of Dachen Island’s Red Culture: Portrayal vs. Reality in the Context of Tourism Development

Following the evacuation of the Dachen Islands by the Republic of China in 1955, the People’s Republic of China undertook a reconstruction and redevelopment effort through the volunteer work of a youth committee known as the Reclamation Team. Today, Dachen Island is renowned for symbolizing Red Culture and the Reclamation Spirit, receiving significant government support, especially for developing its sustainable tourism industry. This field study investigates the disparity between the island's portrayal as a symbol of Red Culture and the Reclamation Spirit and its actual experience as seen through tourists, landscapes, and residents. Tourists are primarily drawn to Dachen Island for its natural scenery and relaxation rather than its Red Culture. The island’s social media image highlights its natural beauty, contrasting sharply with the patriotic culture emphasized by government and official news outlets. Although Dachen Island features several cultural and historical sites, many remain closed or underutilized. As modernization progresses, the island faces a declining youth population, while migrant workers are attracted by the expanding tourism industry. Red Culture and the Reclamation Spirit function more as branding tools that help the island secure government funding and recognition rather than reflecting the lived reality of its residents.

Research on the teaching path of integrating local cultural relics and historic sites into ideological and political courses in Xinjiang vocational colleges

Research on the teaching path of integrating local cultural relics and historic sites into ideological and political courses in Xinjiang vocational colleges

Immersive technologies as a promising mechanism to reduce the negative impact on natural and cultural tourist sites

Deterioration of architectural monuments, negative impact on natural monuments and closure of tourist sites, manifestations of over tourism negative consequences, transformation of consumer behaviour associated with the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic and other infectious diseases are only a small part of the global problems faced by the world tourism industry. The study aims to form a conceptual idea of the immersive technologies role in reducing the negative impact on natural and cultural tourist facilities, revealing their potential as a positive factor that affects consumer preferences and environmental awareness of potential tourists. The study analyzed statistical data allowing estimating the current state of the immersive tourism technologies market. Besides, the article analyses the degree of demand for these digital tools in various types of tourism in the context of the importance of preservation of cultural monuments and natural heritage on the basis of the survey of potential target audience. The authors provided a classification of immersive technologies in tourism, and evaluated the possibility of their integration into specific tourism products on the basis of existing successful implementation practices. As a result of the answers to the proposed research questions the authors conclude that immersive technologies have become an important factor that influence the decision to purchase a certain tourist product or service, as well as accelerates the probability of visiting a specific tourist attraction. This proves that in modern reality tourism is one of the key sectors of the economy, which focuses is not only on the experience economy, but also on ecological awareness of potential categories of tourists

Ritual connections: altars and installations of Late Bronze Age Cyprus and Iron Age Philistia as examples of continuity, change and nostalgia

The two-horned Philistine altar from the site of Tell es‑Safi/Gath is a hallmark find. Whilst this altar is the earliest of its kind in the Iron Age Levant, there are remarkable Late Bronze Age connections to the Cypriot horns of the consecration and slaughtering blocks/altars from Late Cypriot cult sites. The Philistine altar is hewn from stone and unworked on the back and rear sides, bearing resemblance to these Late Bronze Age Cypriote cult and ritual furnishings in both aesthetic design and possible use. Slaughtering blocks from Late Bronze Age Cyprus are rectangular stone blocks with shallow concave surfaces usually set into the floor. They have been historically interpreted as blocks for ritual slaughter of animals due to their proximity to faunal remains, however there is no concrete evidence which would suggest sacrificial use, such as blood or residue atop the surfaces. This paper will further investigate and illuminate these connections between the Levant and Cyprus as possible Philistine symbols of nostalgia, prestige and status emulating (or remembering) both the Aegean and Cyprus, a process which was prevalent up until around the 9th century BCE in Philistia and the wider Mediterranean. This paper will further analyze the Area D altar from Tell es‑Safi/Gath which may be an attempt at imitating the basic form of a Cypriot LC IIC/IIIA stepped altar with horns of consecration as a way of remembering parts of the Philistine Mediterranean past.

Research on the Protection and Utilization of Baotou Red Cultural Site

Research on the Protection and Utilization of Baotou Red Cultural Site

Buraminya (Cave Rock): an important cultural site in the Ngadju Native Title area, southern Western Australia

Buraminya (Cave Rock): an important cultural site in the Ngadju Native Title area, southern Western Australia

Tabulation and Landscape Characters of Lenggong Valley’s Malay Traditional Houses

Lenggong Valley is famously known as an archaeological site due to UNESCO's World Heritage Site verification. Following this, the aspiration towards Global Geopark recognition comprising Lenggong's distinctive cultural heritage was initiated. Malay traditional house is one of the attributes of cultural heritage. It presents a character that symbolises uniqueness reflected in the states where they were built and the relation between historical events. This study aims to explore the distribution tabulation and landscape characters of Malay traditional houses in Lenggong Valley, Perak, Malaysia. The methodology includes site observation and evaluation, with the spatial location of the houses recorded using GPS. The collected samples of hundred eight (108)traditional houses were analysed using Kernel Density Analysis. Results showed that the tabulation of Lenggong traditional houses is concentrated approximately to caves and the Perak River concurrence with the historical evidence of Paleolithic human settlementand the Malay sultanate era. Two (2) significant types of traditional houses found are Rumah Limas Bumbung Perak (RLBP) with 79% and Rumah Kutai (RK) with 14%. Most of the houses are still preserved with vernacular architecture and semi-vernacular which points to their significant identity. The landscape of the traditional houses also points to the unique characters supported by the geographical setting of Lenggong as a valley. These findings support the aspiration of a Geo-Park in Lenggong in the context of the cultural heritage landscape and provide substantial information to authorities regarding conservation and preservation of Lenggong as a heritage cultural site in a broader sense. Future study is encouraged to provide a detailed assessment of the houses' condition towards heritage preservation and conservation efforts.

Regression utility analysis of rural red cultural tourism industry chain for rural revitalization

Abstract A large number of red cultural sites preserved in the Chinese countryside, as well as the red spirit are combined with cultural tourism, and the red cultural tourism industry comes into being. This paper takes the service personnel of the rural red cultural tourism industry in County M as the research object, designs the relevant questionnaire, conducts the reliability test, and then obtains the relevant data of rural revitalization and rural red cultural tourism industry chain through the questionnaire survey method. Then, using the industrial environment and policies of the rural red cultural tourism industry chain as the independent variables and rural revitalization as the dependent variable, a round-off multiple regression analysis was carried out to explore the interrelationship between the two. The results show that rural revitalization = 1.374+0.086*tourism projects + 0.147*infrastructure + 0.169*tourism market + 0.177*tourist distribution = 1.074+0.246*history and culture + 0.259*red culture + 0.214*government policies + 0.268*funding inputs. This paper assists Chinese villages in improving the red cultural tourism industry chain and promoting rural revitalization by developing the red cultural tourism industry chain.

Eco-tourism in Nepal

Eco-tourism involves visiting unique natural habitats with the purpose of aiding conservation efforts and observing wildlife. There are several benefits of eco-tourism which include the conservation of the environment, a rise in funding by the government, cultural exchange, and support for local businesses. The principal tourism activities in Nepal are mountain climbing, trekking, visiting religious and cultural sites, rafting, bungee jumping, rock climbing, jungle safari, and so on. Ecotourism in Nepal depends on coordinated policies, integrated conservation, and sustainable community development, requiring international and grassroots collaboration to maximize benefits while conserving natural beauty. Various projects have been organized to develop eco-tourism in Nepal. Some of the major projects that have been organized are Ghalegaon-Sikles Ecotourism Project, Annapurna Conservation Area Project, Kanchenjunga Community Based Ecotourism Project, Manaslu Nature Based Ecotourism Project and Upper Mustang Biodiversity Conservation Project.

A Study of Tourism Potential in Igatpuri Tahasil of Nashik District

Abstract: The study of this paper aims to study the various religious, Natural and cultural destination of Nashik District. Cultural, Natural tourism destinations (or pilgrim-towns as conventionally known) are special places where urbanization processes are driven by visitor influxes that visit these places for cultural and religious reasons.) Nashik boards of a large number of popular and revered religious cultural venues that are heavily frequented by locals as well as international tourists. Nashik has many religious cultural sites and pilgrimage places for different faiths. For this paper used secondary research methodology has been used for research for data collection, secondary data collected from, the literature the review also government agency data, tourism online news has been collected. This paper emphasizes the emergence of religious tourism in Nashik District and also explored the potential growth and suggested some solutions for development Igatpuri tourism in Nashik

Church Architecture in Southwestern Bulgaria in the Late 9th – Early 11th Century (Based on Archaeological Data)

This publication is devoted to the church architecture in Southwestern Bulgaria (now Blagoevgrad region) during the First Bulgarian Tsardom, in the period from the end of the 9th to the beginning of the 11th century. From the second half of the 9th century (specifically from 864) the territories of the region under consideration officially entered the borders of the medieval Bulgarian state, which coincided with the conversion to Christianity in Bulgaria (865). The studied region covers the valleys of the rivers of Struma (Middle Struma) and Mesta (Upper and Middle Mesta), which were part of the southwestern borders of the Bulgarian state in the Middle Ages. At present, three churches can be attributed to this period, all excavated through regular archaeological excavations. These are the Basilica of St. Nicholas in the town of Melnik, the single-nave church in the area of Shipotsko at the town of Bansko and the three-conchal church at the village of Kulata, Petrich municipality. In terms of their functional characteristics, these churches include an episcopal (or parish) church (“St. Nicholas” in Melnik), a cemetery church (the church in the area of Shipotsko near the town of Bansko) and a monastery church (the church at the village of Kulata). Characteristic for the first two is their construction on older cult sites – on an ancient sanctuary and an early Christian church (the church “St. Nicholas” in Melnik) and on an early Christian temple (the church in the area of Shipotsko, at the town of Bansko). The small number of excavated church buildings from the First Bulgarian Tsardom is also typical for the rest of the Bulgarian lands. Although the examples from the region are few, they show that almost all major architectural types are found here.

PROBLEMS AND PROSPECTS OF DEVELOPMENT OF THE «ULYTAU» TOURIST ROUTE IN CENTRAL KAZAKHSTAN

Tourism is not only the largest but also the fastest-growing sector of the world economy, with growth rates almost twice as high as those of other sectors of the economy. Due to globalization, the growth of information and tourism opportunities in the modern world, tourism plays an important role. This article is devoted to the study of the problems and prospects of the development of the Ulytau tourist route in Central Kazakhstan. The Ulytau region has a huge potential in terms of tourism development, both international and domestic. Historical and cultural sites of different eras, as well as biological and landscape diversity, allow organizing trips of the most diverse nature here. The article examines the place of Ulytau in the history of the country, natural and climatic conditions, socio-economic development of the district, as well as the possibilities of the development of ethnotourism in the region. The factors influencing the development of tourism and the prospects of tourist routes in the Ulytau region are determined.