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Showing 501 – 520 of 15962 publications

Geotechnical aspects of the salvage of the Egyptian monuments

Nubian Monuments from Abu Simbel to Philae — 2026 — WHE5F7EF6092E

Severe structural damage to Nubian monuments, including the Temples of Abu Simbel, Kalabsha, Philae, and Hibis, necessitated large-scale salvage operations due to soil movements triggered by environmental changes. The study highlights that these transfer projects—drowning temples under the Aswan High Dam reservoir—represented significant civil engineering challenges, with Philae and Hibis temples being particularly critical cases. Geotechnical assessments revealed cracks and dislocations caused by subsurface instability, underscoring the need for precision in relocation efforts to preserve cultural heritage.

Geotechnical study of the linear structures on the slopes of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra: causes of deformation and restoration ways

Kyiv: Saint-Sophia Cathedral and Related Monastic Buildings, Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra — 2026 — WHED677B8C2E3

A geotechnical study of the Defensive Wall at Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra reveals that soil over-moistening and subsequent compaction, exacerbated by high groundwater levels and technogenic factors, are the primary causes of structural deformations such as cracks and masonry separation. The research clarifies the wall's foundation depth and identifies additional stressors like dense construction, underground structures, and engineering communications. Recommendations for water drainage and restoration, along with monitoring protocols for deformation dynamics, geophysical studies, and hydrogeological observations, are proposed to mitigate further damage.

Giovanni Antonio Scopoli's De Hydrargyro Idriensi Tentamina (1761): Mercury Mining, Mercurialism, and Preventive Reasoning in Eighteenth‐Century Occupational Medicine

Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija — 2026 — WHEC6AA1B3515

Giovanni Antonio Scopoli's De Hydrargyro Idriensi Tentamina (1761) offers a groundbreaking, workplace-based account of occupational diseases among mercury miners and smelter workers in 18th-century Idrija, Slovenia. The work provides detailed clinical observations linking toxic exposure to conditions such as tremor, salivation, stomatitis, and respiratory disorders, predating modern industrial toxicology by centuries. Unlike broader nosological approaches, Scopoli's study is site-specific, combining physiological, chemical, and medical insights with preventive reasoning. This reassessment highlights its significance in the history of occupational medicine, contrasting it with later reform-oriented traditions while positioning it as a distinctive 18th-century example of pre-industrial occupational-medical inquiry.

GIS assessment of tourism potential: Prošćenske Mountains, Montenegro

Durmitor National Park — 2026 — WHEBEA7F72253

The Prošćenske Mountains, nestled between Durmitor and Bjelasica in northern Montenegro, harbor significant yet underutilized tourism potential driven by well-preserved landscapes, biodiversity, and hydrographic features. A GIS-based study combined the Stanković tourism valuation model with Hilary du Cros's approach to assess natural and cultural resources, revealing high attractiveness of mountain peaks, viewpoints, and traditional katuns despite limited management capacity. Morphometric analysis and spatial overlays identified zones of ecological sensitivity, including vegetation degradation and fire occurrence, while infrastructure deficits emerged as the primary constraint. This research provides a spatial framework for sustainable tourism planning, emphasizing the region's untapped potential.

GIS Methods to Distinguish Between Land Changes from Smallholder Agriculture and Mining in a Time Series for a Tropical Protected Area Forest

Okapi Wildlife Reserve — 2026 — WHEE94926F165

A new GIS approach reveals distinct land-use patterns in the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Democratic Republic of the Congo, by analyzing 24 years of satellite data. The study distinguishes between persistent and alternating non-forest changes caused by smallholder agriculture and illegal mining using Trajectory Analysis and DynamicPATCH. It finds that while agricultural zones show increasing persistence in land-use change—suggesting a shift from rotational crops to prohibited perennial ones—the mining zone exhibits consistent, accelerating expansion of illegal mining fronts. The hunting-conservation zone remains largely stable. This method provides actionable insights into zoning rule compliance and highlights the limitations of endpoint analyses in capturing dynamic land-use changes.

Giza

Memphis and its Necropolis – the Pyramid Fields from Giza to Dahshur — 2026 — WHEC0700BF8AC

Ancient megalithic sites, including the Giza pyramid fields, were primarily constructed as strategic logistical assets rather than for aesthetic or ritualistic purposes. The 'Functionalist Logistics' model proposes that these structures served as warehouses, vaults, and thermal storage facilities, ensuring resource preservation in extreme climates (-30°C to +40°C). The evolution of pyramid designs, such as the Bent Pyramid at Dahshur, reflects crisis management and functional integrity over geometric aesthetics. Psychological deterrence, exemplified by the Great Sphinx and Olmec heads, protected communal stores without requiring a standing army. This paradigm shift challenges traditional interpretations, framing ancient constructions as essential components of state-level resource management.

Gli scritti di Giordano Falzoni per il Museo Vivo di Ugo Marano: sinergie creative e sperimentazione parasurrealista in Costiera Amalfitana | The Writings of Giordano Falzoni for Ugo Marano’s Museo Vivo: Creative Synergies and Parasurrealist Experimentati

Costiera Amalfitana — 2026 — WHEE476CFED6E

This research sheds light on Giordano Falzoni's (1925–1998) often-overlooked contributions to Italian Surrealism and the avant-garde, particularly his collaboration with Ugo Marano in the Museo Vivo project (1971–1976) on the Amalfi Coast. By analyzing Falzoni’s critical writings and poetic experiments—such as Museo Vivo and Ellissi a Ugo Marano—the study reveals his dynamic, anti-hierarchical approach to art, bridging French Surrealism with Italian Neo-avant-garde movements. It also introduces previously underexplored texts that challenge conventional interpretations of the period, offering new insights into Falzoni’s influence on Italian cultural discourse.

Göbekli Tepe

Göbekli Tepe — 2026 — WHE54903C3D58

A groundbreaking analysis of Göbekli Tepe reveals the rich visual language embedded in its monumental T-pilars. These monolithic structures, uncovered since 1995, are not only architecturally significant but also carry an extensive repertoire of high and low reliefs that offer new insights into the symbolic worlds, belief systems, and narrative traditions of early Holocene hunter-gatherer communities in Upper Mesopotamia. The study systematically re-examined the relief motifs, leading to updated identifications of animal taxa, refined quantitative assessments, and deeper interpretations. This comprehensive presentation of the reliefs provides novel perspectives on the image world of the Neolithic era, serving as an essential reference for researchers interested in early monumentality, symbolic communication, and the interpretation of fragmentary yet exceptionally rich archaeological complexes.

Göbekli Tepe and the Failure of Historical Materialism

Göbekli Tepe — 2026 — WHEBDDC27B97A

Göbekli Tepe challenges the foundational assumptions of historical materialism by demonstrating that symbolic structures, not economic surplus, can drive monumental construction and social organization. The site's 9600 BCE hunter-gatherer-built complex predates agriculture and permanent settlement, contradicting materialist frameworks that require proto-economic surplus for large-scale coordination. Applying the Theory of Non-Derivable Admissibility (TNA), this study reinterprets Göbekli Tepe as an axiomatic limit, suggesting symbolic frameworks can force technological adaptation—including agriculture—as a secondary response to ritual constraints. This finding necessitates revising historical causality from linear material determinism toward a model of structural discontinuity.

Governance and Regulations in the Integration of Local Communities for the Authenticity and Integrity of the Cultural Heritage of the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga, Madagascar

Royal Hill of Ambohimanga — 2026 — WHE8C8B75D438

Local community integration is crucial for preserving the authenticity and integrity of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as demonstrated by the Royal Hill of Ambohimanga in Madagascar. This site, listed in 2001, combines a fortified royal city, traditional and colonial architecture, ritual sanctuaries (Doany), and natural forest remnants, reflecting deep Austronesian and African cultural and spiritual imprints. The study reveals that coordinated governance involving both institutional and community actors, alongside the recognition of traditional systems like rituals and ancestral cults, is essential to maintain the site's outstanding universal value. This approach ensures the preservation of its associative cultural landscape while incorporating values of identity and sacredness inherent in local practices.

Governing Sustainable Tourism in Al-Ahsa Oasis: An Adaptive Framework for a Living Cultural Landscape

Al-Ahsa Oasis, an Evolving Cultural Landscape — 2026 — WHE322D3ECD2C

Sustainable tourism in living cultural landscapes, such as Al-Ahsa Oasisrequires adaptive governance that integrates water systems, agriculture, rural livelihoods, heritage values, and climate stress. This study introduces a six-dimensional framework for sustainable tourism governance, emphasizing interdependent dimensions like cultural landscape stewardship, water-sensitive ecological governance, agricultural continuity, community benefit, climate-responsive visitor management, and institutional accountability. Unlike conventional checklists, this approach reframes oasis tourism as an adaptive governance challenge, providing actionable indicators, data sources, and mechanisms for planning, monitoring, and policy refinement. It offers a novel, evidence-based model applicable to arid cultural landscapes, bridging theory with practical implementation.

Government Policy and the Osun Festival: Impact on Cultural Preservation and Tourism

Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove — 2026 — WHE11E1CB625C

Government policies have significantly enhanced the preservation and tourism potential of the Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove, as demonstrated by improved conservation outcomes, increased tourist inflows, and global visibility following UNESCO inscription. However, challenges such as commercialization of sacred rituals, environmental strain on the grove, and governance tensions persist. The study highlights that while state involvement is crucial for heritage safeguarding and tourism growth, long-term sustainability requires participatory governance frameworks, heritage-sensitive tourism planning, and sustained conservation funding. Using a mixed-methods case study approach, researchers analyzed policy documents, UNESCO reports, tourism statistics, and qualitative data from custodians and stakeholders to assess the impact of federal and state interventions on cultural sustainability, community participation, and local livelihoods.

Gravimetric Detection of Cave Space and Sinkhole Hazard with Growth Inversion: Valaská Village Case in Karst (Slovakia)

Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst — 2026 — WHE4D81BC5074

A persistent sinkhole hazard exists in Valaská village, Slovakia, despite mitigation efforts, as revealed by microgravimetric analysis using the Growth inversion methodology. This study demonstrates that Growth inversion—a free-geometry inversion technique—is effective for detecting shallow cave spaces and assessing sinkhole risks in karst environments. The research highlights both the strengths and limitations of this approach, emphasizing the importance of parameter tuning to improve accuracy. Valaská's history of sinkholes, including a notable incident involving a horse in 1964, underscores the ongoing threat, which the gravimetric study confirms remains active.

GRILLO, Paolo. Las puertas del mundo. Europa y la globalización medieval

L’Anse aux Meadows National Historic Site — 2026 — WHED03189DD02

A new perspective on medieval globalization reveals that European trade networks during the 13th and 14th centuries were far more interconnected than previously thought, extending across the Atlantic to L'Anse aux Meadows in Newfoundland and linking Europe with the kingdom of Mapungubwe in southern Africa. Paolo Grillo's study traces the global movement of ivory—sourced from both Arctic walruses and African elephants—as a key commodity that flowed between these distant regions, with European emporia serving as central consumption hubs. By analyzing archaeological evidence, including artifacts from L'Anse aux Meadows, Grillo demonstrates how shifts in trade routes and consumer preferences during the early 14th century—favoring elephant ivory over walrus ivory—reflect broader economic and environmental changes of the medieval period. This challenges traditional narratives of European isolationism, highlighting instead a complex web of transcontinental exchanges that predated modern globalization.

Ground-structure interaction analysis of the Tower of Comarès, Alhambra of Granada, Spain

Alhambra, Generalife and Albayzín, Granada — 2026 — WHEEBDE37ED0F

A comprehensive ground-structure interaction analysis of the Tower of Comarès, part of the UNESCO-listed Alhambra and Generalife complex in Granada, Spain, reveals critical insights into its structural stability under static and seismic conditions. The study, conducted by CEDEX's geotechnical and materials laboratories, identifies key vulnerabilities that could inform targeted preservation strategies. By integrating advanced numerical modeling with on-site data, researchers assessed the tower’s response to seismic forces, providing a foundation for mitigating risks while preserving its architectural integrity. This work contributes to broader efforts to safeguard historic structures against environmental and seismic threats.

Groundwater overexploitation drives freshwater turtle declines in Doñana National Park

Doñana National Park — 2026 — WHE6A85EF13FC

Groundwater overexploitation in Doñana National Park has driven significant declines in freshwater turtle populations over three decades. The Mediterranean pond turtle (Mauremys leprosa) and the European pond turtle (Emys orbicularis) have seen dramatic decreases in abundance—56.9% and 74.1%, respectively—and their distribution has contracted sharply, particularly for E. orbicularis. Both species are now concentrated in a shrinking subset of long-hydroperiod ponds, indicating severe loss of functional habitat at the landscape scale. The study used a snapshot resampling design with standardized fyke nets to survey the park's pond network in 1991–1994 and 2021–2024, quantifying abundance through capture–mark–recapture methods. These findings underscore that legal protection alone is insufficient without addressing basin-scale hydrological pressures. Urgent reductions in groundwater withdrawal, restoration of the pond network, and hydrologically explicit monitoring are necessary to reverse these declines and prevent local extinctions.

Habitat Ecology and Intraspecific Variations in Estuarine Crocodile Crocodylus porosus Schneider, 1801 (Reptilia: Archosauria: Eusuchia: Crocodylia: Crocodylidae) in Two Contrasting Estuarine Ecosystems of Eastern India

Sundarbans National Park — 2026 — WHEB787C7AB4D

A comparative study of estuarine crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) populations in Bhitarkanika National Park and the Sundarbans Biosphere Reserve reveals significant intraspecific variations shaped by habitat connectivity. The research, conducted during March-April 2026, identified 52 individuals across both sites, highlighting differences in population density, size distribution, trophic resources, and territorial behavior. Bhitarkanika's semi-isolated ecosystem exhibited higher competition due to restricted resources, whereas the Sundarbans' dynamic, marine-connected environment supported broader trophic niches and reduced conflict. These findings underscore the critical role of habitat connectivity in crocodilian ecology and conservation outcomes.

Halamphora izadii sp. nov., a new diatom species from the hottest place on earth, Lut Desert, Iran

Lut Desert — 2026 — WHEBDC3049270

Scientists have identified Halamphora izadii, a new diatom species capable of surviving extreme conditions, from the Lut Desert—the hottest place on Earth. This microscopic organism thrives in high temperatures and salinity, distinguishing itself with fine striae (26-30 per 10 µm) and unique areolae structures. The discovery, based on light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), highlights the desert's resilient diatom flora and contributes to understanding its ecological adaptations. Researchers compared H. izadii with similar species, discussing its phylogenetic placement and ecological significance in this harsh environment.

HBIM for heritage enhancement- efficient use of the HBIM workflow for UNESCO heritage management and adaptive reuse of the Heiligenkreuzerhof in Baden bei Wien

The Great Spa Towns of Europe — 2026 — WHE69A25F4EE4

A structured four-stage HBIM (Heritage Building Information Modelling) workflow can bridge the gap between digital documentation and adaptive reuse, offering a replicable method for managing UNESCO-listed heritage sites. This approach integrates deep documentation, stakeholder engagement, conceptual development, and evidence-based decision-making, as demonstrated in a case study of the Heiligenkreuzerhof in Baden bei Wien—a historic building facing challenges despite comprehensive restoration. The workflow combines laser scan data, archival sources, on-site inspections, and expert interviews to create a multidimensional Revit model that serves as both a digital archive and planning tool. While technical complexities persist, HBIM proves most valuable when used as a participatory instrument rather than a standalone product. Key barriers to broader adoption include institutional hurdles such as regulatory gaps and limited interdisciplinary awareness of HBIM's potential in small-scale heritage projects.

Head of Life: An Analysis of the Significance of the Head in the Andes

Tiwanaku: Spiritual and Political Centre of the Tiwanaku Culture — 2026 — WHEE4D2858A88

The human head held profound significance in Tiwanaku society (ca. 500–1150 CE), serving as the primary locus of personhood, identity, and agency rather than merely a symbolic or trophic object. This study reveals that the head was an active medium for encoding social affiliations, regional identities, and cosmological beliefs through intentional cranial modification, post-mortem curation, and iconographic representations. Bioarchaeological and mortuary evidence from the Akapana complex shows heads were carefully removed and treated as ritual objects, emphasizing their role in ancestral presence and social memory. Architectural depictions, including tenon heads and portrait vessels, further underscore the head's centrality in Tiwanaku cosmology and ritual practice.