Beginning in 1992 when the category of world heritage cultural landscapes was adopted by the World Heritage Committee, scholarly debates have ensued on how they could best be managed. One approach... Show moreBeginning in 1992 when the category of world heritage cultural landscapes was adopted by the World Heritage Committee, scholarly debates have ensued on how they could best be managed. One approach, which appears to have gained significance over the past two decades or so, is to consider the use of traditional conservation practices and the involvement of local indigenous communities in the management of world heritage cultural landscapes. To examine the efficacy of the approach, this book explores the concept of indigenous communities, the nature of the traditional conservation practices in the Matobo Hills Cultural World Heritage Landscape in which the study was conducted as well as the management history of the area. Based on the perspectives of the indigenous people of the Matobo Hills, this study examines the extent to which traditional conservation practices and their involvement can be germane in the management of World Heritage Cultural Landscapes. Show less
By the turn of century, increasing interest in archaeology in Jordan had resulted in more excavations and explorations of archaeological sites, and an increase in the number of monuments and... Show moreBy the turn of century, increasing interest in archaeology in Jordan had resulted in more excavations and explorations of archaeological sites, and an increase in the number of monuments and antiquities being revealed. In response, it was necessary and urgent to establish museums in which to display such remains, aesthetically and historically and to ensure their protection. This was achieved over a fairly short period of time, and museums have the role of displaying and safeguarding the collection in its custody. However, a preliminary check gave the impression that most museums in Jordan do not have the necessary human and material resources to perform this function satisfactorily. In recent years, museum science experienced a strong advancement, in particular when dealing with issues of indoor environment, and models of requirements have been designed. This thesis aims to describe, analyse and discuss the current situation of a number of selected museums in Jordan, with a focus on aspects of indoor environment. It intends to be an inclusive study that would provide recommendations and suggestions, hopefully enabling official senior level museum staff to address these needs, and work to improve them in order to portray a good image of Jordan and its historical legacy. It has been noticed that, at present, some artefacts are suffering deterioration and damage due to uncontrolled environmental conditions and mishandling by untrained staff; if this situation is not addressed promptly it may well lead to the destruction of these valuable and vulnerable objects. For this reason, a study of the processes of deterioration is required, prior to any recommendations concerning conservation treatments. In fact, excavated archaeological objects can be conserved and stabilized by a combination of instruments, whether these objects are on display or kept in storage. Therefore the indoor museum environment should be controlled and the staff properly trained to deal with objects adequately. These are basic necessities to ensure that museums and staff are able to fulfil the role of a modern museum, i.e. to be a sustainable social and educational resource. Show less
