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Publications

Showing 17641 – 17660 of 30345 publications

The Role of collective unconscious in the Murals of Altamira Cave in Spain

Cave of Altamira and Paleolithic Cave Art of Northern Spain — 2019 — WHE1608145281

Paleolithic cave art, such as the murals of Altamira in Spain, contains symbolic elements that reflect the collective unconscious of early humans, suggesting a deeper cognitive and psychological connection to their daily lives. The study applies Jungian psychological analysis to interpret these symbols, revealing how they originate from dreams and represent mythological thought patterns. Using descriptive, analytical, and comparative methods, the research highlights the importance of understanding prehistoric art for unraveling cultural foundations. This approach bridges gaps between cognitive studies and mythological interpretations, offering new insights into the mental processes of Paleolithic societies.

The Role of Historical Persian Gardens as Urban Green Spaces: Psychological, Physical, and Social Aspects

The Persian Garden — 2019 — WHE8310A4415D

Historical Persian gardens serve as highly utilized urban green spaces, offering significant psychological, physical, and social benefits to residents. A study of four renowned gardens in Shiraz—Eram, Hafeziyeh, Jahan Nama, and Afifabad—revealed that visitors primarily seek connection to nature, relaxation, and refreshment over social or physical activities. Key factors influencing garden visitation include emotional attachment to the place, aesthetic appeal, accessibility, and perceived safety. Notably, bonding with the location and feeling safe were stronger predictors of garden use than aesthetics or accessibility. Safety also mediated the effects of other attributes on visitation, underscoring its critical role in enhancing park utilization. These findings suggest that urban planners should prioritize affective components, infrastructure, and activities that foster social benefits to increase engagement with green spaces.

The Role of NGOs in Touristic Securitization: The Case of La Antigua Guatemala

Antigua Guatemala — 2019 — WHE4E28F149D1

NGOs play a dual role in touristic securitization, making Western tourists feel safe while inadvertently perpetuating inequalities and human insecurities for local, often indigenous, populations. This study focuses on La Antigua Guatemala, a key tourism destination, to analyze how international NGOs contribute to and engage in securing tourism. While they enhance tourist safety, the research reveals that touristic securitization reinforces existing power imbalances, particularly affecting poor Guatemalans whom NGOs aim to assist. The findings highlight how this process both reflects and exacerbates intersecting inequalities, creating distinct worlds of (in)security.

The Role of UNESCO Heritage in the Boutique Tourism Offer in Slovenia

Škocjan Caves — 2019 — WHEFF1B65F89E

UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Slovenia, including the Škocjan Caves and other cultural and natural landmarks, offer unique opportunities for boutique tourism that contrast with mass tourism challenges faced by many destinations. The study reveals that while the Škocjan Caves are a prominent attraction, other lesser-known sites serve as the foundation for developing exclusive tourist experiences. It highlights the need for strategic integration of heritage into modern tourism offers, balancing preservation and visitor engagement through professional design. Research employs fieldwork, structured interviews with stakeholders, website analysis, and site visits to identify best practices and opportunities for enhancing Slovenia's boutique tourism sector.

The roles and perceptions of the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs through governmental politics in the Preah Vihear Temple dispute

Temple of Preah Vihear — 2019 — WHEA57A2F5FAE

Thailand's foreign policies regarding the Preah Vihear Temple dispute often diverge from the cooperative national role conceptions (NRCs) of its Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), particularly when governmental politics are highly confrontational and the MFA's influence is limited. This study, employing role theory and a governmental politics approach, reveals that while the MFA's organizational structure tends to favor cooperation, external material and ideational factors, public opinion, and internal political dynamics can override its diplomatic stance. The research highlights the interplay between foreign-policymaking actors as a key determinant of policy outcomes, demonstrating that Thailand's foreign policies do not consistently reflect the MFA's NRCs when confrontational politics prevail.

The Roman aqueduct of Philippi

Archaeological Site of Philippi — 2019 — WHEC0F9C17D85

A newly dated aqueduct system in Philippi, Greece, reveals the city's monumental transformation during the Antonine period (second half of the 2nd century AD). This open-channel structure, featuring a barrel-vaulted cover, supplied water from karstic springs in the Kefalari area, approximately seven kilometers northwest of the city. The aqueduct's construction aligns with Philippi's urban reconstruction, underscoring its significance as a key station on the Egnatia Road and its role in Roman infrastructure development. The study leverages archaeological evidence to pinpoint the aqueduct's dating, providing insights into the engineering advancements and urban planning of the period.

The Ruins of Ani: A Journey to Armenia’s Medieval Capital and its Legacy by Krikor Balakian

Archaeological Site of Ani — 2019 — WHEFD199F10F5

Ani, the medieval Armenian capital and Silk Road node, stands as a symbol of both cultural heritage and destruction. Krikor Balakian's 1910 monograph, 'Illustrated Description of the Ruins of Ani,' offers a unique blend of travel account, history, and scholarly study, providing detailed descriptions and illustrations of surviving structures like churches, palaces, and citadels. This work, recently translated into English, sheds light on the site's rich history, from its ninth-century founding to its depopulation in the fourteenth century, while also critiquing external invasions and Armenian disunity. Balakian's account serves as both a travel guide and an appeal for financial support for ongoing excavations and a newly established museum, which were later looted and destroyed. The monograph also reviews past scholarship on Ani, culminating in praise for Nicholas Marr's excavation work.

The Ruins of War

My Son Sanctuary — 2019 — WHED210DE27CA

Architectural heritage preservation should prioritize ruination over restoration to preserve the historical significance of war-damaged sites. This study argues against reconstructing or restoring the largest temple at Mỹ Sơn Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and Vietnam's foremost Champa archaeological site, which was destroyed during a 1969 U.S. bombing raid. By analyzing the aesthetic appeal, historical context, and ethical implications of different preservation approaches—reconstruction, restoration, and ruination—the research advocates for embracing the temple's ruined state as a testament to its war-torn past. The discussion challenges conventional heritage conservation practices, suggesting that allowing structures to decay can serve as a more authentic and meaningful memorial.

The Sacred Architecture of the Napatan Period

Gebel Barkal and the Sites of the Napatan Region — 2019 — WHE65992EB98B

Despite significant advancements, our understanding of Napatan sacred architecture remains incomplete. While large sanctuaries and royal tombs have been extensively studied, recent surveys reveal smaller temples and shrines across known and new sites. However, preservation challenges due to harsh climate, weak materials, and structural reuse hinder discovery, suggesting many sites remain unknown. This study highlights the fragmentary nature of existing knowledge, emphasizing gaps in remote regions and smaller-scale architecture.

The Sacred Mount Taishan in the Profane Space of the Contemporary Culture Industry of PRC

Mount Taishan — 2019 — WHE5CECA3D217

A study reveals the tension between Mount Taishan's sacred heritage and its commodification within China's contemporary culture industry, particularly through projects like the "Culture Industry Park of Mount Taishan" initiated in 2009. The research examines how the landscape spectacle "Chinese Taishan: The Great Sacrifice to Heaven and Earth" blends historical reverence with economic goals, raising concerns about the potential dissonance between symbolic Chineseness and profit-driven exploitation. By analyzing official media coverage and spectator feedback, the study highlights the fragile balance between preserving cultural significance and commercializing it for state benefit.

The sculpture of the church of the holy virgin of the Studenica Monastery. Origin and models

Studenica Monastery — 2019 — WHE295382D28A

A groundbreaking analysis reveals that the twelfth-century sculpture of Studenica Monastery's Church of the Holy Virgin, previously thought to be influenced by Byzantine art, actually originates from Romanesque models in Italy's Emilia Romagna and Apulia regions. The study demonstrates that nearly all motifs—including the dominant 'peopled or inhabited scrolls'—stem from ancient Roman sources, challenging long-standing academic assumptions about its stylistic influences. By meticulously comparing Studenica’s decoration with Italian counterparts, researchers trace a direct lineage to Romanesque art, offering new insights into medieval European artistic exchange and the monastery's cultural significance.

The Secrets of S. Maria delle Grazie: Virtual Fruition of an Iconic Milanese Architecture

Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie with “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci — 2019 — WHE6AB13C0510

Virtual Reality (VR) technology emerges as a powerful tool for preserving and communicating cultural heritage, bridging the gap between history and contemporary audiences. This study demonstrates that VR can effectively document and revitalize inaccessible or historically significant sites, such as the Church and Dominican Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan, home to Leonardo da Vinci's 'The Last Supper.' By combining photogrammetry and terrestrial laser scanning, researchers reconstructed five key areas of the convent—The Cloister of the Frogs, the Cloister of the Prior, the Old Sacristy, the Small Sacristy, and the New Sacristy—into detailed 3D models. These were then integrated into a game engine to create an immersive VR simulation that offers unprecedented educational experiences and storytelling possibilities. The approach not only enhances architectural appreciation but also provides innovative ways to engage with cultural heritage, surpassing traditional documentation methods.

The Short History of the Ifugao Rice Terraces: A Local Response to the Spanish Conquest

Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras — 2019 — WHE15B4D80019

Contrary to long-held beliefs, the Ifugao Rice Terraces in the Philippine Cordilleras were not established 2000–3000 years ago but rather emerged as a recent adaptation to Spanish colonization. This study challenges the dominant historical narrative by integrating radiocarbon dating, faunal isotopic signatures, human osteological remains, archaeobotanical data, energetics assessments, and spatial analysis. Findings suggest that the shift to wet-rice cultivation was a response to colonial pressures rather than an ancient practice. The research employs Bayesian modeling alongside ethnohistorical and ethnographic evidence to reconstruct the terraces' origins, offering new insights into their cultural and historical significance.

The Shulgan-Tash (Kapova) Cave Protection: Unrealized Improvement Attempt, 1960–1981

Rock Paintings of Shulgan-Tash Cave — 2019 — WHED270501FC5

An analysis of the Shulgan-Tash (Kapova) Cave, a UNESCO World Heritage Site renowned for its Paleolithic rock paintings, reveals that proposed protection and improvement projects from 1960 to 1981 remained largely unrealized. Despite extensive plans aimed at preserving the cave's integrity, enhancing tourist infrastructure, ensuring visitor safety, and implementing effective visitor management strategies, these initiatives failed to materialize. The study examines the gap between proposed solutions and actual outcomes during this critical period, highlighting the challenges in balancing conservation with development in a culturally significant site.

The site of Shaym Qalʿa, Marw oasis: reconsidering the chain of information

State Historical and Cultural Park “Ancient Merv” — 2019 — WHE7272BBD6FA

Recent archaeological evidence challenges the long-held belief that Shaym Qalʿa, near Marw oasis in Turkmenistan, was primarily a 11th–12th century Seljuk military camp. Analysis of new findings suggests the site dates back to the 8th century, aligning it with Early Islamic military installations (mir). This reassessment contradicts earlier hypotheses and supports claims by Yakubovskii and Bosworth regarding Marw's historical significance during this period. The study cross-references ancient texts by al-Muqaddasi and al-ʿAbari to re-evaluate Shaym Qalʿa's role, integrating historical records with archaeological data for a more nuanced understanding of the site's transition from Sasanian to Islamic rule.

The Social Life of Bagan Period

Bagan — 2019 — WHE74755A748C

Bagan, an ancient city with multiple historical names such as 'the City of the Enemy Crusher' or 'the Land of Copper,' served as a crucial crossroads for trade and military movements between South Asia and Southeast Asia. Positioned strategically along the Ayeyarwady River and near the Chindwin tributary, Bagan's significance grew under kings Anawrahta (1044-1077 A.D.) and Kyansitha (1084-1113 A.D.), evolving into a powerful empire. The social life of its inhabitants is vividly documented in the city's extensive temple art, including frescoes, sculptures, stone reliefs, stucco, terracotta plaques, and inscriptions, which reflect a blend of Indian artistic influences and indigenous traditions from pre-Bagan Mon and Pyu kingdoms. This study highlights how Bagan's cultural synthesis, shaped by Brahmanical statecraft and local practices, is preserved in its monumental architecture and visual narratives, offering insights into the social dynamics and artistic expressions of this historic period.

The Soil Microbiome of the Laurel Forest in Garajonay National Park (La Gomera, Canary Islands): Comparing Unburned and Burned Habitats after a Wildfire

Garajonay National Park — 2019 — WHE69C2DDE2C4

A wildfire dramatically alters the soil microbiome of Garajonay National Park's laurel forest, reducing species richness and diversity while shifting bacterial community composition. Proteobacteria, Acidobacteria, and Actinobacteria dominated unburned soils, but burned areas saw significant decreases in these groups alongside a surge in Betaproteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Firmicutes. The study compared microbial communities across two topographical positions—slope and ridge crest—in both undisturbed and post-fire habitats, revealing the fire's profound impact on this unique subtropical ecosystem.

The Spatial Analysis and Sustainability of Rural Cultural Landscapes: Linpan Settlements in China’s Chengdu Plain

Mount Qingcheng and the Dujiangyan Irrigation System — 2019 — WHEC87B63667A

A study on the Linpan settlements within China's Dujiangyan Irrigation District reveals significant spatial and cultural transformations in rural landscapes due to rapid urbanization. Between 2005 and 2018, these traditional farming settlements declined at a rate of about six per square kilometer, with uneven distribution changes driven by regional development disparities and resident needs. The research introduces the concepts of 'demand' and 'restriction' in sustainable development to propose strategies for preserving these cultural landscapes. Long-term fieldwork and geographic information databases were used to classify Linpan landscape types, offering a foundation for future policy-making to protect this heritage.

The Spatial Patterns of Red Beds and Danxia Landforms: Implication for the formation factors–China

China Danxia — 2019 — WHE8D1FCF1657

A clustered distribution pattern of Danxia landforms, concentrated primarily in Southeast China, the Sichuan Basin, and the Qilian-Liupan regions, was identified through spatial analysis. The study, which analyzed 1,100 Danxia sites and their relationship with red beds across China, revealed that these landforms cover approximately 9.5% of the country's land area. Using geological and tectonic maps alongside ArcGIS software, researchers performed adjacent index calculations and Thiessen polygon analyses to map the spatial patterns and assess the influence of tectonics on Danxia formation. The findings highlight the significant role of geological elements in shaping these distinctive landscapes.

The State Historical Museum Activities in Moscow in the Late 19th – Early 20th Centuries

Kremlin and Red Square, Moscow — 2019 — WHE583F542C7C

The State Historical Museum, a unique architectural gem within the UNESCO-listed Kremlin and Red Square ensemble, played a pivotal role in shaping Moscow's cultural heritage at the turn of the 20th century. This study reveals how its construction, interior design by renowned artists like I.K. Aivazovsky and V.M. Vasnetsov, and educational activities contributed significantly to urban cultural space preservation. By integrating archival research with an analysis of the museum's operations, the paper highlights its enduring legacy in blending art, history, and public engagement. The findings underscore the importance of such institutions in maintaining historical continuity within World Heritage Sites.