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Showing 3821 – 3840 of 15944 publications

Cryptic diversity of Leurus wasps (Hymenoptera: Ichneumonidae: Metopiinae), parasitoids of caterpillars in Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica

Area de Conservación Guanacaste — 2024 — WHE0EE25224B6

Researchers uncovered significant cryptic diversity among Leurus wasps, revealing ten new sympatric species within the Area de Conservación Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Initially assumed to be a single species, L. caeruliventris, these wasps were identified through COI barcoding and morphological analysis of hundreds of specimens, each matched with their host caterpillars from the Crambidae family. The study, led by Zuñiga & Valerio, describes these new species—L. billeberhardi, L. henrytownesi, L. hugokonsi, L. iangauldi, L. jesusugaldei, L. marjorietownesae, L. maryjanewestae, L. pammitchellae, L. sondrawardae, and L. wahli—along with an illustrated key to distinguish them. This discovery sheds light on the ecological complexity of these parasitoids, challenging previous assumptions about their species boundaries.

Cult Places and Rituals in Malta

Megalithic Temples of Malta — 2024 — WHE8E88CB854F

A strong, shared religious sentiment persisted on the Maltese islands from the Neolithic Age through the Bronze Age, as evidenced by the widespread presence of megalithic temples. This continuity is further supported by the reuse of these temples during the Iron Age, particularly following the Phoenician arrival. The study highlights three sacred sites—Tas-Silġ in southern Malta, Ras ir-Raħeb on the northwestern coast, and Ras il-Wardija on Gozo—each exhibiting unique features while sharing common themes such as their connection to the sea and agriculture. The research approach combines archaeological evidence with cultural analysis to trace the enduring significance of these sites across millennia.

Cultural and chronological variation in Woodland and Mississippian mortuary practices on the edge of Greater Cahokia

Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site — 2024 — WHEA50E9F8B58

A reanalysis of the Kane Mounds mortuary complex, long thought to be late Mississippian, reveals it was not a mound but a natural bluff-top burial site used continuously for over a millennium. The study, leveraging legacy field records and analytical data, demonstrates significant cultural and chronological variation in Woodland and Mississippian mortuary practices on the periphery of Greater Cahokia. Findings indicate shifts from hunting-and-gathering to maize-based subsistence, increased social complexity, and diverse burial practices including in-the-flesh interments, ossuaries, excarnation, postmortem manipulations, and extensive fire use. The research highlights the site's enduring significance as an ancestral burial place, reflecting both temporal and geographic diversity.

Cultural and Heritage Tourism, Urban Resilience, and Sustainable Development. Comparative Analysis of the Strategies of Athens and Rome

Historic Centre of Rome, the Properties of the Holy See in that City Enjoying Extraterritorial Rights and San Paolo Fuori le Mura — 2024 — WHEAA2A7FB4AA

Cultural and heritage tourism serves as a catalyst for urban resilience and sustainable development, particularly in historic cities like Athens and Rome. This study demonstrates that such tourism can effectively contribute to overcoming challenges posed by tourist influxes, thereby fostering resilience and sustainability. The research employs a comparative methodology, analyzing the resilience strategies of Athens and Rome within the 100 Resilient Cities Network framework. By examining objectives, actions, and sub-actions, it reveals how these cities leverage cultural heritage tourism to enhance urban resilience. This finding underscores the potential of heritage tourism as a strategic resource for sustainable urban growth.

Cultural attitudes and human pressure towards vultures around the Comoé National Park, Côte d’Ivoire (West Africa)

Comoé National Park — 2024 — WHE29F415B058

A rapid decline in vulture populations around Côte d’Ivoire’s Comoé National Park (CNP) is driven by cultural demand for traditional medicine, habitat loss, and environmental pressures. Despite the persistence of species like the Hooded Vulture (Necrosyrtes monachus) and White-headed Vulture (Trigonoceps occipitalis), 98.2% of interviewees reported significant reductions in sightings over recent years. Key threats include food scarcity, pesticide poisoning, hunting, bushfires, and the use of vulture parts—such as feathers, organs, and excrement—for mystical practices or medicine. The Hooded Vulture is particularly targeted. This study highlights the urgent need for conservation strategies that balance ecological protection with cultural sensitivity to safeguard these critical scavengers.

Cultural Exchanges between Macedonia and Thrace in the Fourth and Third Centuries BC

Thracian Tomb of Sveshtari — 2024 — WHE68A6560A23

A significant cultural exchange between Macedonia and Thrace during the fourth and third centuries BC is evident through elite burial practices, architectural innovations, and artistic influences. Macedonian tombs, characterized by underground barrel vaults disguised behind elaborate façades, influenced Thracian burial traditions, including the adoption of transport amphorae and drinking sets. Conversely, Thracians occasionally imitated Macedonian marble doors. The Sveshtari tomb, attributed to a Getai ruler, showcases the pinnacle of this influence with a wall-painting depicting a ruler on horseback, mimicking Alexander the Great's imagery. This study highlights the bidirectional cultural diffusion, particularly in architectural techniques and symbolic representations, underscoring the interconnectedness of these regions during the ancient period.

Cultural Heritage and Aerification in UNESCO Art Cities

Historic Centre of Naples — 2024 — WHEF8F8673D1E

Short-term rentals (STR), exemplified by Airbnb accommodations, are unevenly transforming UNESCO World Heritage Sites like Naples' historic centre, disrupting social balances and housing markets. While often framed as a 'sharing economy,' the study reveals that costs and benefits of this phenomenon, termed 'aerification,' are spatially unequal, threatening fragile urban dynamics. The research analyzes Airbnb's suburban distribution and its impact on long-term rentals and neighbourhoods, highlighting risks to cities characterized by inner peripheries.

Cultural heritage and the teaching of local history

Viñales Valley — 2024 — WHEF370217412

Cultural heritage, including historical legacies and social practices, plays a pivotal role in social development. A study on the Viñales Valley, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999, demonstrates that integrating cultural heritage into local history education can serve as an effective tool for knowledge preservation and reinterpretation across generations. The research highlights how tangible and intangible assets, deeply rooted in environmental interactions, contribute to societal growth when used as teaching content. By analyzing the relationship between cultural heritage and local history, the study underscores its potential for safeguarding heritage while fostering social development. This approach offers a model for heritage education that can be applied globally.

Cultural heritage management: towards informed decision-making based on integrated hbim-gis

Pampulha Modern Ensemble — 2024 — WHEF5BAD4ED8B

A groundbreaking integration of Historic Building Information Modeling (HBIM) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) offers a scalable solution for managing UNESCO-listed architectural heritage, as demonstrated by the Pampulha Modern Ensemble. This approach transforms BIM data into geospatial formats, enabling seamless visualization and management in an accessible web database. The study highlights how this framework simplifies complex heritage asset tracking while maintaining usability for non-specialized users, providing a replicable model for global cultural preservation efforts.

Cultural Heritage of Observatories

Jodrell Bank Observatory — 2024 — WHE99BC16CC3D

Astronomical observatories, though evolving in architecture and instruments, hold significant cultural heritage value. While their dynamic nature may preclude UNESCO World Heritage status, they can be recognized as 'Outstanding Astronomical Heritage' by the IAU for their scientific achievements. This study highlights the transformation of observatories from Baroque to modern designs, noting that their evolution reflects shifts from classical astronomy to astrophysics and beyond. Examples like La Plata and Hamburg observatories illustrate this transition, while contemporary structures such as the ESO Very Large Telescope or Jodrell Bank Observatory represent a departure from traditional dome shapes. The paper advocates for broadening UNESCO's Astronomy & World Heritage initiative to encompass broader scientific and technological heritage, including educational sites like the Gottorf Globe or Eise Eisinga Planetarium, which have played pivotal roles in science popularization.

Cultural heritage safeguarding through social entrepreneurship: a case study analysis in George Town UNESCO World heritage site, Malaysia

Melaka and George Town, Historic Cities of the Straits of Malacca — 2024 — WHEB3CD770690

Social entrepreneurship emerges as a viable mechanism for safeguarding cultural heritage, demonstrated through a case study of George Town. The research highlights that entities embodying social entrepreneurship orientation—whether legally registered or informal—can effectively contribute to heritage preservation by aligning their initiatives with sustainable development goals. Using a qualitative approach and the theory of change framework, the study dissects the processes, challenges, and impacts of these efforts, focusing on inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes, and long-term effects. Key findings underscore the potential for social entrepreneurship to foster sustainable cities (SDG 11) while addressing complex heritage safeguarding needs.

Cultural heritage tourism and urban regeneration: The case of Fez Medina in Morocco

Medina of Fez — 2024 — WHEA5F1F4E161

Urban regeneration in historic cities, such as Fez Medina in Morocco, can achieve economic and social sustainability without displacing local communities. The 'Ziyarates Fez' project demonstrates an innovative approach to rehabilitating traditional houses for tourism while preserving their original occupants. This study highlights how previous strategies, focused on physical development and riad hotels, exacerbated gentrification and socioeconomic stratification. By employing a mixed-method approach—including desk research, content analysis, fieldwork, observations, and qualitative interviews—the research identifies holistic regeneration strategies that balance conservation with modern needs. These findings contribute to global efforts in sustainable urban regeneration, offering actionable insights for policymakers and researchers.

Cultural identity, does it matter? A study on Konark Sun Temple, India

Sun Temple, Konârak — 2024 — WHE303EDC0D7D

Cultural identity significantly enhances the economic value and moderately influences emotional value and destination loyalty intentions among visitors to the Konark Sun Temple, India. This study, using structural equation modeling, reveals that cultural identity plays a pivotal role in shaping visitor behavior and commitment, offering valuable insights for both theoretical frameworks and practical applications in tourism marketing. The findings underscore the importance of leveraging cultural heritage to foster economic growth and emotional connections with destinations.

Cultural Identity, Experience Quality and Revisit Intention to Mount Tai as A Heritage Tourism Destinations: Mediation Roles of Perceived Value, Perceived Destination Image and Satisfaction

Mount Taishan — 2024 — WHE2402B9D059

A strong sense of cultural identity emerges as the most significant factor influencing tourists' revisit intentions to Mount Taishan. This study reveals that enhancing experience quality and maintaining a positive destination image are also critical for fostering repeat visitation. Using structural equation modeling (SEM) on data from 438 tourists, researchers found that satisfaction mediates the relationship between perceived value and revisit intention, underscoring its pivotal role in shaping tourist behavior. These insights highlight the importance of cultural connection and experience quality in promoting sustainable tourism at heritage destinations.

Cultural Landscape in the Bamiyan Strategic Masterplan 2018

Cultural Landscape and Archaeological Remains of the Bamiyan Valley — 2024 — WHE07096A9995

The Bamiyan Strategic Masterplan (BSMP) of 2018 introduces targeted measures to safeguard the cultural landscape of the Bamiyan Valley, addressing challenges faced by its predecessor. A key finding is the emphasis on limiting population growth and settlement expansion on the valley floor, alongside mitigating the impact of infrastructure like a bypass road that bisects the landscape. The study traces the evolution of UNESCO's concept of cultural landscapes and highlights the difficulties in implementing earlier plans, such as the Bamiyan Cultural Master Plan (BCMP) from 2004–13. By analyzing these challenges, the BSMP offers a more adaptive approach to preserving this UNESCO World Heritage Site, balancing conservation with sustainable development.

Cultural route heritage as mobility narrative: the world heritage inscription of China’s Grand Canal

The Grand Canal — 2024 — WHEA78989750D

China's Grand Canal, once a vital link connecting southern rice-growing regions with northern political centers over a millennium ago, has been reimagined as a symbol of cultural heritage and mobility. This study highlights how the 'Dayunhe' section was rediscovered and transformed in value, reflecting China's shift from preserving 'cultural relics' to fostering a broader 'cultural market' tied to leisure and connectivity. The research also explores the Grand Canal's role in national narratives, including its alignment with initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, emphasizing its significance in binding populations to a shared national story while expanding domestic and international mobility. The analysis combines theoretical frameworks with empirical observations to illustrate how cultural route heritage serves as a narrative of movement and connectivity.

Cultural Tourism as a Resource for Memory Studies

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) — 2024 — WHE33D1675879

Cultural tourism emerges as a powerful tool for preserving historical memory and strengthening national identity, particularly at sites with deep symbolic significance. Research demonstrates that direct engagement with authentic heritage locations—such as the Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome), Battle of Stalingrad Museum-Reserve, or Auschwitz-Birkenau—enhances collective remembrance while mitigating commercialization risks. Unlike passive consumption through media, experiential tourism fosters emotional connection and cultural belonging, making remote or underrepresented sites viable for educational engagement. The study suggests that targeted positioning of these places, leveraging niche tourism models, can both safeguard heritage and broaden public access to history without sacrificing authenticity.

Cultural Transmission and Language Strategies in Mount Taishan Cultural Translation

Mount Taishan — 2024 — WHEE3BB19A416

Mount Taishan culture, one of China's oldest and most culturally rich traditions, faces significant challenges in cross-cultural communication due to language differences and cultural barriers. This study identifies effective strategies for accurately conveying the essence of Mount Taishan culture during translation, emphasizing the importance of language selection and the use of cultural symbols. By analyzing specific examples, the research proposes methods to ensure vivid and precise dissemination of this heritage on an international scale, offering valuable insights for its global promotion.

Cultural, nutritional and microbial perspectives of tuak, a traditional Balinese beverage

Borobudur Temple Compounds — 2024 — WHE8E158DCA07

Tuak, a traditional Balinese palm wine, stands as a culturally significant and economically valuable beverage deeply rooted in Indonesian history. This review reveals its complex nutritional profile, rich in monosaccharides (glucose, fructose), disaccharides (sucrose, maltose), organic acids, bioactive compounds (saponins, phenols, terpenoids, alkaloids, flavonoids), minerals, alcohols, and aromatic compounds. Microbial analysis highlights the dominant role of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces chevalieri, Zymomonas mobilis, and Candida tropicalis in its fermentation process, derived from ambient air and plant-associated microbes. The study combines desktop research with field surveys to explore tuak's socio-economic importance, cultural heritage, and potential for tourism development while addressing challenges in quality improvement and economic value enhancement. This comprehensive perspective offers insights into preserving traditional beverage production and celebrating cultural heritage.

Culture as a Resilient and Sustainable Strategy in Small Cities

Old Town of Cáceres — 2024 — WHEC46D80A7AF

Small cities can mitigate population decline and economic stagnation by investing in culture, as demonstrated by five Spanish case studies. Allariz, Almagro, Astorga, Puigcerdá, and Trujillo have successfully used cultural strategies—such as theater festivals, historical preservation, and identity-driven initiatives—to reverse demographic and economic challenges. Unlike nearby towns facing abandonment, these cities leveraged heritage (e.g., a 17th-century corral de comedia in Almagro or pre-Roman ruins in Trujillo) to foster resilience, improve quality of life, and boost local economies. The study highlights culture as a sustainable development model for small urban centers worldwide.