Cultural heritage is often seen as a way to connect people across borders and centuries. It can be anything from art and architecture to traditional food or music.
Efforts are underway to combat the illicit international trade in cultural objects and protect heritage sites from damage and erosion. These efforts include the creation of regulations, laws and professional codes of ethics.
What is cultural heritage?
Cultural heritage includes the history of a culture, its values, traditions, art, and more. It is a central part of who we are as humans, and it helps us to understand each other.
It’s important to preserve and protect cultural heritage because it can provide a sense of identity, connection to the past, and a foundation for future generations. It also helps to promote understanding and tolerance between peoples.
While cultural heritage can include physical artifacts, it often refers to more intangible things, such as literature, rituals and certain types of craftsmanship passed down by previous generations. It can also be broader, including historical sites and natural landscapes.
Cultural heritage can be threatened by crimes, such as illegal excavation, smuggling and trafficking of artifacts. To prevent these crimes, the United States works with international partners to share information and resources on protecting cultural property. We also work to strengthen site protection, enhance inventories, build capacity, and engage communities.
What is the definition of cultural heritage?
Cultural heritage is a legacy of physical artifacts (cultural property) and intangible attributes that reflect the history, culture, values, beliefs and practices of a group or society. It is not a static concept: what was considered cultural heritage in one period may not be cultural heritage in another, as values change over time.
Today we recognize that the idea of cultural heritage is broader than the objects and sites designated by the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage, which lists specific monuments, buildings, town centers and archaeological areas of “outstanding universal value”. Artists, writers, scientists, craftsmen and musicians often learn from each other, even if they belong to different cultures far removed in space or time: think of Paul Gauguin’s influence by Japanese prints or the use of African masks by Pablo Picasso.
The cultural heritage we value requires legal protection and preservation, both at the national and international level. It is also essential to promote awareness of cultural heritage and its significance, and facilitate exchange between communities.
What is the purpose of cultural heritage?
Historically, the concept of cultural heritage has been developed by various groups including archaeologists, historians, anthropologists, museum curators, archivists and art collectors. The impulse to document, preserve and present this heritage was eventually reinforced by a recognition that this heritage is of outstanding universal value. Hence the creation of national and international programs aimed at protection and preservation.
The preservation of cultural heritage is important because it provides a link with the past. It can also help to promote a sense of identity among communities. This is why many governments devote considerable resources to protecting their culture. This can be done through the establishment of museums, monuments and other cultural sites, as well as through the promotion of local languages, traditions and festivals.
The preservation of intangible cultural heritage is vital as well. It includes things like the whirling dances of the Dervishes and the storytelling techniques of West Africa. These elements are incredibly rich and underline the beauty of global diversity.
What is the definition of heritage?
Heritage is often understood to mean something tangible like paintings, buildings and monuments, but it really is a much more complex concept. The Oxford English Dictionary defines it as ‘property that can be inherited and conserved; a set of values recognised by some official authority, such as governments and museums, as worthy of preservation for the benefit of future generations’.
However, what people consider to be their cultural heritage varies depending on a number of factors including culture, social identity and context. The definition of heritage as repackaged by a government or institution can also change over time as political, economic and religious pressures influence what is considered to be worth saving.
Heritage is more than just historical and artistic objects; it is also a way of life passed down from generation to generation. This can include customs and traditions such as language, music, dance, food and architecture. It can even be the innate abilities of an individual, such as the ability to paint or play an instrument.