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Indus Ingenuity: Urban Agency and Power without Palaces (2700–1900 BCE)

Dholavira: a Harappan City — 2025 — WHE9306491A90

The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) defies conventional models of early urban governance, as it lacked monumental palaces or royal tombs yet exhibited sophisticated urban planning, standardized material culture, and extensive trade networks. This study proposes the concept of 'Indus Ingenuity,' suggesting that power was distributed among coalitions of elites, councils, or priestly figures rather than centralized under a single ruler. Archaeological evidence from sites like Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, and Dholavira reveals a society driven by collective decision-making, ideological consensus, and civic participation, maintained through ritual, mercantile influence, or shared civic ethos. The research challenges traditional narratives of ancient sociopolitical structures, offering new insights into the diversity of governance in pre-historic urban societies.

Influence of Experimental Eutrophication on Macrozoobenthos in Tufa-Depositing System of Plitvice Lakes National Park, Croatia

Plitvice Lakes National Park — 2025 — WHEAFEC2541F9

Phosphorus emerged as the critical limiting nutrient for periphyton growth in Plitvice Lakes National Park, significantly boosting chlorophyll a levels on substrates enriched with phosphorus or combined nitrogen-phosphorus treatments. The study, employing nutrient-diffusing substrates in situ, revealed that lower tufa deposition rates further amplified periphyton development, while macrophytes mitigated these effects, likely through flow modulation and root respiration. Although eutrophication did not directly alter tufa deposition, it influenced macrozoobenthos abundance seasonally, with gazers and detritivores dominating in phosphorus-enriched environments. Seasonal variations overshadowed the impacts of nutrient treatments on both autotrophic and heterotrophic communities, underscoring the system's sensitivity to environmental shifts.

Influence of New Productive Forces on the Evolution of Cultural Tourism and Heritage Site Management

West Lake Cultural Landscape of Hangzhou — 2025 — WHE7DF6F13869

Digital technologies are transforming cultural tourism and heritage management, particularly in historically rich cities like Hangzhou. A study reveals that tools such as AI, big data, blockchain, AR/VR, and green technologies enhance visitor experiences, operational efficiency, and sustainability while posing challenges to digital equity and authenticity preservation. This research, based on a systematic literature review of 85 sources narrowed to 9 key studies using the PRISMA framework, provides context-specific insights for sustainable, inclusive, and culturally grounded smart tourism in Chinese heritage cities.

Influence of Visual Communication Used in Designing Cultural Products on the Purchase Behavior of Consumers: A case of Chengde Mountain Resort Museum

Mountain Resort and its Outlying Temples, Chengde — 2025 — WHE157916EE5B

Visual communication strategies significantly enhance visitor experiences and purchase intentions for cultural product replicas, particularly in museum settings. A study focusing on the Chengde Mountain Resort Museum found that incorporating visual elements resembling historical or imperial identities, along with technologies like VR and natural elements, positively influences consumer behavior. The research applied a deconstructed theory of planned behavior to analyze qualitative data from visitor reviews, revealing that these attributes stimulate cognitive and normative processes, driving desire for replicas. While the study was limited in scale, it suggests broader implications for future comparative research on visual communication's role in cultural product marketing.

Influence of water temperature, body size, condition and gull-inflicted lesions on heat loss in southern right whales in Península Valdés, Argentina

Península Valdés — 2025 — WHE2B7E264E4B

Southern right whales (Eubalaena australis) migrating from cold feeding grounds to warmer breeding grounds in Península Valdés, Argentina, experience reduced heat loss during early lactation by 26%, but this migration offers limited thermoenergetic benefits overall. The study found that body condition is a critical regulator of heat loss, with poor condition increasing heat loss beyond field metabolic rate (FMR), threatening survival. Gull-inflicted lesions significantly increase heat loss in small or poorly conditioned calves but have no effect on larger or better-conditioned whales. Researchers used unmanned aerial vehicle photogrammetry to measure body size, volume, and condition, combined with blubber-mass modeling and necropsy data, to estimate sensible and respiratory heat loss. This work highlights the complex interplay between environmental factors, body condition, and external stressors in whale thermoregulation.

Influencing eco-conscious travelers: The role of green marketing in promoting sustainable destinations

Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area — 2025 — WHE3E21A63CA3

Green marketing by eco-tourism providers significantly boosts tourists' intentions to visit sustainable destinations, primarily through fostering pro-environmental attitudes and trust in green destinations. A study of 317 tourists in Jiuzhaigou Valley, China, found that biospheric values—strong environmental concern—amplified the effect of destination trust on visit intentions, especially for high-value tourists, while eco-friendly attitudes consistently influenced intentions regardless of these values. The research applies customer engagement theory to show how meaningful green marketing interactions drive value co-creation and sustainable tourism behaviors. These insights offer actionable strategies for marketers and policymakers aiming to engage eco-conscious travelers effectively.

Inheritance without the heritage: fig trees and the ecological effects of imaginative attachments to fetih (conquest)

Historic Areas of Istanbul — 2025 — WHE13EF1523DE

This study reveals that the concept of 'fetih' (conquest) serves as both an imaginative framework for heritage-making and a tool for ecological destruction, particularly in the context of Istanbul's historic Balat and Fener neighborhoods. It demonstrates how new inhabitants reinterpret and attach themselves to the area's native fig trees through this imagined heritage, while simultaneously contributing to its ecological degradation. The research connects ethnographic data with the interplay between cultural and ecological heritage, challenging traditional notions of heritage as solely human-centric. By analyzing these dynamics, it questions the social boundaries of heritage and highlights the consequences of neoliberalism on material and immaterial heritage in post-empire nation-states.

Inherited or Forgotten Knowledge: An Anthropological Inquiry into Global Megalithic Mastery

Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur — 2025 — WHE50FE11C215

Global megalithic structures, including the pyramids of Giza and the Bosnian Pyramid Complex, challenge conventional views on ancient technological capabilities. This study suggests that advanced geometric, astronomical, and engineering knowledge may represent either an inherited legacy or a lost cultural development. Through field investigations across Egypt, Lebanon, Peru, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, researchers analyzed precision, material manipulation, and large-scale construction techniques. Notably, the Egyptian pyramids' alignment accuracy, the transport of massive stones at Giza and Baalbek, and the Fibonacci-based astronomical correspondences in the Bosnian Pyramid Complex were examined. These findings imply that our understanding of prehistoric technologies may be incomplete, prompting a re-evaluation of ancient knowledge systems.

Initiating a Dynamic Co-Constructed One Health Project: reflections from Participatory Action Research in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, Democratic Republic of Congo

Kahuzi-Biega National Park — 2025 — WHE490B8CDEE9

A collaborative One Health (OH) approach, implemented through Participatory Action Research (PAR), demonstrates significant potential for addressing interconnected environmental, animal, and human health challenges in the UNESCO-listed Kahuzi-Biega National Park (KBNP), Democratic Republic of Congo. This study highlights how co-constructed solutions—developed through sustained community partnerships—can enhance resilience against emerging pandemics while ensuring contextual relevance. The research underscores the importance of integrating local knowledge and power dynamics to overcome humanitarian implementation challenges, offering a scalable model for similar biodiversity hotspots.

Innovating Yinxu Bronze Patterns Through Cultural Semantics and Shape Grammar

Yin Xu — 2025 — WHEF0003BB71F

A hybrid methodology combining semantic extension and shape grammar successfully innovates Yinxu bronze patterns while retaining traditional symbolism. This approach addresses symbolic complexity and form repetition by extracting cultural features and applying rule-based generative design, demonstrating adaptability to modern aesthetics without losing heritage significance. The study also highlights structural inertia in traditional pattern production, offering pathways for reactivation. A fuzzy evaluation model assessed the generated motifs based on innovation, expressiveness, and aesthetics, providing both theoretical and practical insights into the digital reinterpretation of cultural heritage motifs.

Innovative Business Models in Cultural Tourism: The Case of Cumalıkızık

Bursa and Cumalıkızık: the Birth of the Ottoman Empire — 2025 — WHE6465423177

Cumalıkızık, a UNESCO-listed Ottoman-era village in Bursa, demonstrates how innovative cultural tourism models can simultaneously preserve heritage and boost local economies. The study identifies key strategies that enhance visitor experiences while supporting sustainable economic growth for communities. Analysis of Tripadvisor reviews and Google restaurant ratings revealed actionable insights to differentiate Cumalıkızık's offerings, providing a blueprint for other culturally rich sites. This approach contrasts with traditional tourism models by prioritizing enrichment and sustainability, offering a scalable solution for heritage conservation through economic development.

Innovative Digital Technology in Education about Paleolithic Sites: A Case Study of the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian

Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian — 2025 — WHE52D59D91CE

Location-based entertainment virtual reality (LBE VR) significantly enhances adolescents' engagement with Paleolithic heritage, as demonstrated by a study at the Peking Man Site at Zhoukoudian. The research found that LBE VR facilitates deeper learning about early human history and culture through immersive, interactive experiences. Using semi-structured interviews with 57 secondary-school students (aged 15–17) who participated in an LBE VR program titled I Am Ape-man: A Day into the Life of Peking Man, the study employed a multiple-case qualitative design to assess the technology's educational impact. The findings provide empirical support for integrating LBE VR into Paleolithic site education, offering valuable insights for designing innovative educational applications and pedagogical strategies.

Innovative Strategies and Use of UAVs to Survey and Monitor Archaeological Sites in Conflict/Post Conflict Zones. The Case Study of the Fortified Citadel of Shahr-i Zohak in Bamiyan (Afghanistan)

Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley — 2025 — WHE35F82E144D

A groundbreaking study demonstrates that UAV-based photogrammetry can generate highly accurate 3D models of archaeological sites, even in conflict or post-conflict zones like Afghanistan. Using Skydio’s X10 and S2 drones with low ground-to-surface distances (1–5 meters) and high overlap (75%-95%), researchers achieved millimeter-level precision (1 mm per pixel) for a 120m x 30m section of the fortified citadel of Shahr-i Zohak, part of Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Valley UNESCO World Heritage Site. This method overcomes challenges such as UXO presence, limited accessibility, and lack of GPS connectivity by merging external (GPS-referenced) and internal (non-GPS) datasets. The findings highlight the potential for remote damage assessment in inaccessible regions, while also outlining practical guidelines and limitations for future applications in similarly challenging environments.

Inscriptional Culture in Pentapolitana Cities in the Early Modern Period

Levoča, Spišský Hrad and the Associated Cultural Monuments — 2025 — WHEFE8ED9CF54

A notable pattern emerges from the epigraphic landscape of the Pentapolitana cities during the Early Modern period: inscriptions served as a powerful medium for urban patricians to assert independence and reflect cultural developments shaped by Humanism, Renaissance ideals, and Protestant influences. The study highlights significant examples, such as the mid-16th-century depiction of Martin Luther in Levoča Town Hall, and early 17th-century inscriptions that underscore bourgeois aspirations. Sepulchral monuments, a dominant form of epigraphic expression, provide rich prosopographical data, including biblical quotations valuable for ecclesiastical research and literary works like epicedia. The analysis draws on these monuments to reconstruct the inscriptional culture's evolution, offering insights into the region's intellectual and social dynamics.

Insect diversity and new records from mangrove forests of Cat Ba National Park, Vietnam, using multi-method sampling

Ha Long Bay - Cat Ba Archipelago — 2025 — WHE3ADDB58B56

A groundbreaking survey of insect diversity in the mangrove forests of Cat Ba National Park, Vietnam, reveals 163 species across 11 orders, with eight new to science and four newly recorded for Vietnam. Hemiptera dominated the findings (37 species), followed by Lepidoptera and Diptera, underscoring mangroves as critical biodiversity hotspots. Multi-method sampling—sweep nets, light traps, and yellow pan traps—identified sweep nets as most effective, particularly for Hemiptera and Hymenoptera, while light traps excelled at capturing Lepidoptera. This study provides the first comprehensive baseline for insect diversity in Cat Ba's mangroves, offering insights applicable to understudied Southeast Asian ecosystems.

Insecurity as An Influential Factor In The Tourism Development of the Historical Center of Quito

City of Quito — 2025 — WHE55B64595C5

A significant perception of insecurity among tourists, driven by factors such as informal commerce, homelessness, micro-trafficking, and poor urban conditions, is hindering tourism development in Quito's Historic Center. This study identifies these social problems—unprecedented in Ecuador's capital—as critical barriers to progress. Using a mixed-methods approach, the research combined qualitative bibliographic analysis with quantitative surveys of tourists to systematically map these issues. The findings underscore the need for targeted strategies to address insecurity, offering actionable insights for urban planning and tourism management in UNESCO-listed sites facing similar challenges.

Institutional Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation for Mountain Guides in the Canadian Rockies

Canadian Rocky Mountain Parks — 2025 — WHE9113A0BE58

Two-thirds of mountain guides in the Canadian Rockies report that recent revisions to Parks Canada's National Park Guided Business Licence (NPGBL) program have unintentionally reduced their adaptability while increasing administrative burdens, undermining the efficacy and equity of climate change adaptation efforts. The study, which combined semistructured interviews with 30 guides, policy analysis, and key informant interviews with seven stakeholders, identified that the revised regulatory framework and implementation mechanisms hinder adaptive capacity. Findings suggest that fostering horizontal and vertical social capital—integrating local knowledge holders like mountain guides into decision-making processes—could mitigate these institutional barriers. This research provides actionable insights for land managers and guiding organizations globally, where guiding professions face dual pressures from climatic and institutional changes.

Intangible Cultural Heritage in the Napatan Region and Gebel El-Barkal

Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region — 2025 — WHEAFA85DDC32

Local communities' intangible cultural heritage offers a counterpoint to official narratives at the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Gebel El-Barkal, revealing complex, lived meanings that transcend global and national symbolism. Through ethnographic and phenomenological methods, this study demonstrates how ethnicity, religion, social class, gender, and age shape diverse community perspectives on heritage—often in tension with authorized discourses. The findings challenge elite-driven heritage management, advocating for inclusive, bottom-up approaches that integrate local knowledge systems while preserving global significance.

Integrasi Etnosains Pada Pembelajaran IPA: Studi Lapangan pada Batik Tulis Giriloyo dan Candi Prambanan

Prambanan Temple Compounds — 2025 — WHEDE3A179938

A culturally embedded science learning model, integrating ethnoscience and ethnopedagogy, demonstrates significant potential to enhance conceptual understanding and character development in students. The study identifies scientific phenomena—such as chemical reactions in natural dyes, heat transfer in wax processing, and ecological processes in temple architecture—within traditional batik production and the Prambanan Temple Compounds. These phenomena are linked to key science concepts like states of matter, diffusion, oxidation, and ecosystem dynamics, providing a contextualized approach to learning that aligns with the Merdeka Curriculum's emphasis on authentic, culturally responsive education. The proposed five-stage model—spanning cultural orientation, scientific exploration, experimentation, reflection, and character strengthening—shows promise in fostering both scientific literacy and values such as patience, accuracy, and environmental awareness.

Integrated energy planning for historic city centres in the Netherlands

Seventeenth-Century Canal Ring Area of Amsterdam inside the Singelgracht — 2025 — WHE8DA7792518

A design workflow for sustainable heat transition in historic city centers, including UNESCO-listed areas, has been developed. This approach integrates conservation-compatible retrofitting with energy planning to achieve natural gas-free heating by 2040 while preserving architectural heritage and improving thermal comfort. The method combines GIS data, bottom-up energy modeling, and parametric tools to assess optimal retrofitting scenarios, local heat grid configurations, and thermal storage integration. By balancing heritage conservation with sustainability goals, the workflow provides actionable insights for stakeholders and citizens in driving collective transitions toward low-carbon heating and cooling.