Aluka: African Cultural Heritage Sites

Aluka (derived from a Zulu word meaning 'to weave’) is a not-for-profit, collaborative and international initiative, which aims to connect resources and scholars from around the world. It has recently announced the release of its online digital library of scholarly resources from and about Africa.

The African Cultural Heritage Sites and Landscapes database, links visual, contextual, and spatial documentation. The Aluka digital library includes photographs, 3D models, GIS data, site plans, aerial and satellite photography, images of African rock art, excavation reports, manuscripts, traveller's accounts, historical and antiquarian maps, books, articles, and other scholarly research. Until 31st December, 2007, Aluka will be accessible at all academic and research institutions with access to JSTOR. After that date, academic and research institutions in Africa will continue to have no-charge access to Aluka; other institutions may pay a participation fee.

Website: www.aluka.org

State Government backs heritage values of Dampier Archipelago

A Western Australia government minister, Eric Ripper, has stated that:

"an Indigenous Heritage Management Plan is being developed to protect the heritage values of the entire Dampier Archipelago. It offers a multi-user approach to managing the Indigenous cultural heritage of the Dampier Archipelago and will provide a way forward to proactively manage the area in accordance with identified national heritage values." - whatever that means!

He goes on to say "We strongly believe that it is possible for industry and heritage to coexist in the Dampier Archipelago", which he would do as "The region is also one of Australia’s most important industrial areas. It is rich in natural gas, iron ore and a range of other minerals and provides a safe harbour, access to deep water and existing infrastructure."

Full statement at:
http://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/media/Media.nsf/0c079b992e7e607a48256a5a0016e16b/58613eb139f48d77c82572fa001e0b54?OpenDocument but probably not for long.

Calendar of Cultural Heritage, from ICOMOS

ICOMOS have a useful online Calendar of Cultural Heritage events:
http://www.international.icomos.org/centre_documentation/calendar.htm

Recent publications

Some recent publications that may be of interest and are downloadable as pdfs:

Developing and Implementing Archeological Site Stewardship Programs, by Sophia Kelly, National Park Service online archeology Technical Brief #22.
http://www.cr.nps.gov/archeology/pubs/techBr/tch22.htm

Case Studies on Climate Change and World Heritage, from UNESCO.
http://whc.unesco.org/documents/publi_climatechange.pdf

World Heritage: Challenges for the Millennium, from UNESCO.
http://whc.unesco.org/documents/publi_millennium_en.pdf

Heritage at Risk 2006 – Special edition: Underwater cultural heritage at
risk: managing natural and human impacts, from ICOMOS.
http://www.international.icomos.org/risk/2006

Heritage at Risk – Special Edition: The Soviet Heritage and European Modernism, from ICOMOS. http://www.international.icomos.org/risk/2007/pressetext_heritageatriskenglish.pdf

MIDAS Heritage the UK historic environment data standard

MIDAS data standards are issued by English Heritage to cover records of the historic environment (see http://www.fish-forum.info for background).

A consultation version of the new edition MIDAS Heritage the UK historic environment data standard is now available online for comment.

New sections in MIDAS Heriage include:

• a structure for the recording of values associated with heritage assets - attempting to cover the different range of value types that have been discussed
• sections on the recording of management activities applied to assets.

You can download and review the consultation version at:

http://www.fish-forum.info/midaspr.htm

Comments should be sent to midas@english-heritage.org.uk by 29th June.

MDA: Standards in Collections Care Series Available Online

The MDA have made the Standards in Museum Care of Collections
series available from the Collections Link website at:
http://www.collectionslink.org.uk/conserve_objects/standards_colls_care

The series was originally published in the 1990s by the Museums and
Galleries Commission (MGC), now the Museums, Libraries and Archives
Council (MLA) and cover:

* Archaeological Collections
* Biological Collections
* Geological Collections
* Larger and Working Objects
* Touring Exhibitions
* Photographic Collections
* Musical Instrument Collections
* Costume and Textile Collections

Also recently added is a section on Emergency Planning, highlighting resources
from outside the cultural sector:
http://www.collectionslink.org.uk/plan_for_emergencies

and the London Screen Archives guide to caring for moving image
collections:
http://www.collectionslink.org.uk/special_collection/photo_film

UNESCO Courier: Memory of the World

New issue of the UNESCO Courier is out: http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=37894&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

Articles include:

• Documentary heritage in the digital age More

• Timbuktu manuscripts: Africa’s written history unveiled More


• Slave trade archives: ports of call More
  

World Monuments Fund 100 most endgaged monuments

The World Monuments Fund has just announced its new list of the 100 most endgaged monuments:

http://www.worldmonumentswatch.org/

Interesting range of sites - including Tara in Ireland (see earlier post).

This year's list is the first to add global warming to the threats to cultural heritage.

There is a useful summary article from the launch at:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070606.wwarmarch0606/BNStory/Science/home

WAC submission regarding Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples

WAC has made a submission to the United Nations regarding the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. You can find it on their web site at:

http://www.worldarchaeologicalcongress.org/site/news_pres_13.php