What is "cultural heritage"?
Cultural heritage is the legacy of physical
artifacts (objects) and intangible attributes of a group or society that are
inherited from past generations, maintained in the present and preserved for
the benefit of future generations.
Cultural
heritage includes tangible culture (such as buildings, monuments, landscapes,
books, works of art, and artifacts), intangible culture (such as folklore,
traditions, language, and knowledge), and natural heritage (including
culturally significant landscapes, and biodiversity).
The
deliberate act of keeping cultural heritage from the present for the future is
known as preservation (American English) or conservation (British English).
Types of cultural heritage
Tangible culture
Cultural
heritage (cultural property) includes the physical (material), or
"tangible" cultural heritage, such as artworks. These are
generally split into two groups of movable and immovable heritage. Immovable
heritage includes buildings (which themselves may include installed art such as
organs, stained glass windows, and frescos), large industrial installations or
other historic places and monuments. Moveable heritage includes books,
documents, moveable artworks, machines, clothing, and other artifacts, that are
considered worthy of preservation for the future. These include objects
significant to the archaeology, architecture, science or technology of a
specified culture.
The
study of tangible cultural heritage gives us an insight into the socioeconomic,
political, ethnic, religious and philosophical values of a particular group of
people.
Aspects
and disciplines of the preservation and conservation of tangible culture
include:
- Museology
- Archival science
- Conservation (cultural heritage)
- Art conservation
- Archaeological conservation
- Architectural conservation
- Film preservation
- Phonograph record preservation
- Digital preservation
Intangible
cultural heritage
"Intangible
cultural heritage" consists of non-physical aspects of a particular
culture, more often maintained by social customs during a specific period in
history. The concept includes the (acceptable) behaviour in a society,
and the often formal rules for operating in a particular cultural climate.
These include social values and traditions, customs and practices, aesthetic
and spiritual beliefs, artistic expression, language and other aspects of human
activity. Intangible cultural heritage is obviously more difficult to preserve
than physical objects.
Aspects
of the preservation and conservation of cultural intangibles include:
- Folklore
- Oral history
- Language preservation
Natural
heritage
"Natural heritage" is also an important
part of a society's heritage, encompassing the countryside and natural
environment, including flora and fauna, scientifically known as biodiversity,
as well as geological elements (including mineralogical, geomorphological,
paleontological, etc.), scientifically known as geodiversity. These kinds of
heritage sites often serve as an important component in a country's tourist
industry, attracting many visitors from abroad as well as locally. Heritage can also include cultural
landscapes (natural features that may have cultural attributes).
Aspects
of the preservation and conservation of natural heritage include:
- Rare breeds conservation
- Heirloom plants
- Nature parks
- UNESCO natural World Heritage List sites
