Standard and Guide to Best Practice for Archaeological Archiving in Europe

In 2008, the Europae Archaeologiae Consilium (EAC) decided to examine the question of archiving archaeological documentation. The working group created by the EAC following that decision brought together several specialists from a number of member countries and secured the establishment of the ARCH:ES project supported by the Culture Programme 2007-2013 of the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency of the European Union.
The ARCH:ES (Archaeological Resources in Cultural Heritage – a European Standard) project ran from June 2012 till May 2014 and has published "A Standard and Guide to Best Practice in Archaeological Archiving in Europe". 
The Guide is available in 7 languages and can be downloaded for free here. For the English PDF publication, please follow this link.

For more information on the project, you can also visit the general ARCHES website. Any questions or
comments can be addressed to the ARCHES address: arches[at]e-a-c.org or to the ICAHM vice presidency for Europe: Cynthia.dunning[at]archaeoconcept.com

Source : Cambridge Heritage Research Group - 24 August 2014

World Heritage: New resources

The World Heritage Centre has made available new tools and documents: 

"Managing Cultural World Heritage" reference manual This manual provides guidance for States Parties and all those involved in the care of World Heritage cultural properties on how to comply with the requirements of the World Heritage Convention. It also aims to help States Parties to ensure that heritage has a dynamic role in society and harnesses, but also delivers to others, the mutual benefits that such a role can create. Free download from : http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1078/

"Celebrating 40 years of the World Heritage Convention" This electronic publication provides the vivid record of the three-day landmark event, which was organized jointly by the Government of Japan and UNESCO World Heritage Centre, in Kyoto, Japan, 6-8 November 2012. During the Closing Event, challenges the Convention faced in its early years as well as today's key issues in the World Heritage community, were discussed. Free download from http://whc.unesco.org/en/news/1077/

And the new database, "State of Conservation of World Heritage properties".
State of Conservation (SOC): The very significant number of reports prepared by the UNESCO Secretariat and the Advisory Bodies to the World Heritage Committee represents an exceptional and extensive documentation on various conservation issues. It is one of the most comprehensive monitoring systems of any international conventions, through a global network of sites.
Website

New tool: "Preparing World Heritage Nominations (First Edition, 2010)"

DOWNLOAD (PDF, 4.11 MB)

- English version: Preparing World Heritage Nominations (First Edition, 2010)
- Version française : Établir une proposition d'inscription au patrimoine mondial (Première édition, 2010)


The World Heritage Resource Manual Series

Since the World Heritage Convention was adopted in 1972, the World Heritage List has continually evolved and is growing steadily. With this growth, a critical need has emerged for guidance for States Parties on the implementation of the Convention. Various expert meetings and results of the periodic reporting process have identified the need for more focused training and capacity development in specific areas where States Parties and World Heritage site managers require greater support. The development of this series of World Heritage Resource Manuals is a response to this need.

The publication of the series is a joint undertaking by the three Advisory Bodies of the World Heritage Convention (ICCROM, ICOMOS and IUCN ) and the UNESCO World Heritage Centre as the Secretariat of the Convention.

The aim of this Resource Manual is to help States Parties to achieve good quality World Heritage nominations.
The Advisory Bodies consider that there are a few underlying basic principles which should underpin all good nominations to ensure that the most appropriate properties are nominated, properties are represented as effectively as possible within nominations, and the nomination process itself contributes to protection, conservation and effective management of natural and cultural heritage.

Text source: World Heritage Centre

COE Publications on Cultural Heritage

ICOMOS Documentation Centre recently acquired the following titles published by the Council of Europe and wishes to present them to the readers.

Guidance on inventory and documentation of the cultural heritage (2009)
Improved heritage management and the inclusion of heritage in planning and sustainable development processes necessitate inventory and documentation. More than mere scientific tools recommended in international agreements, inventory and documentation play a strategic role. The complexity of the heritage items that now have to be inventoried and their interaction with our everyday living environment require the clear definition and harmonisation of practices at the European level.
Through its work in the 1960s, the Council of Europe helped to lay the methodological bases for inventorying architectural, archaeological and movable heritage. The efforts to systematise the process came in answer to the broadening meaning of heritage, and today new considerations lead us to address such notions as heritage groups.
The guidelines proposed in this book reflect the work done so far and provide a basis for future research. It is part of a series produced under the Technical Co-operation and Assistance Programme to present the experience derived from the projects implemented by the Council of Europe. - Purchase

---

Funding the architectural heritage: A guide to policies and examples (2009)
What systems can be used for the mobilisation of financial resources for the conservation, restoration, rehabilitation and integrated management of the architectural heritage through area-based regeneration initiatives? This guide aims to provide authoritative information on different funding mechanisms, financial resources and management systems utilised in Europe and in North America as a means to assist the development of good and efficient practice.
Consideration is given to examples relating to three principal forms of financial measures: subsidies (grant aid), loans and tax incentives, as well as specific measures to promote sponsorship through donations by individuals and corporate organisations. Other revenue-raising methods are investigated, including easement donations and endowment funds, lotteries, concession agreements, monument annuities, the transfer of development rights and enabling development, and through the support of international organisations such as the World Monument Fund, the World Bank, the Council of Europe Development Bank and the European Union. Further consideration is given to the role of non-profit and other organisations operating for the benefit of the architectural heritage such as revolving fund organisations, charitable trusts, heritage foundations and limited liability companies. Purchase

---

European heritage - Sustainable development strategies in South-East Europe (2008)
The Institutional Capacity Building Plan is the first of three components in the Regional Programme for Cultural and Natural Heritage in South East Europe that was launched in 2003. As part of this plan, a "translational theme-based debate" was held, the structure of which was based on an assessment of requests from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, "the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia" and Kosovo.
The results of this debate have been published across three volumes in the European Heritage series. This third volume examines how the enhancement of cultural and natural heritage can contribute to the implementation of sustainable development projects. The participants' reports and presentations on European best practices should inspire institutions to define rules and guidelines for structuring their national heritage policies so that they can also contribute to regional and local development strategies. - Purchase