Cultural heritage is a shared legacy that binds a community together. It includes the tangible—artwork, monuments, buildings, and sites—as well as the intangible, like traditions, languages, and stories. Sustaining cultural heritage is a challenge. Objects, buildings, and natural environments can be destroyed or damaged by war and conflict, natural disaster, climate change, and even people who do not value them as part of their heritage. Fortunately, preservation is possible in many cases. The issue is a global one, and there are many organizations working to protect heritage around the world.
The concept of cultural heritage is complex and evolving. Different cultures have different ideas about what constitutes their heritage. UNESCO’s definition of cultural heritage focuses on “artefacts, monuments, buildings and sites, museums and collections that have a particular historic, artistic, aesthetic, ethnological or anthropological significance.” It also includes “intangible cultural heritage”—practices, representations, expressions, knowledge and skills, as well as instruments, objects, artefacts and cultural spaces that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage.
It is also true that the preservation of heritage involves a struggle between different ideas about what is valuable and worthy of protection. People who believe that a particular culture’s artifacts and sites are a vital part of their identity may be outraged when they see those items threatened with destruction or loss. This is not a new problem. It is a common challenge that has existed for centuries, and it is likely to continue in the future.
Another problem is that the protection of cultural heritage sometimes clashes with private property rights. For example, an ancient Roman decree established that works of art on public properties be considered the property of the community, even if they were privately owned. This was a recognition that cultural objects were of great value to society, and they needed to be protected.
Despite the fact that cultural heritage is under constant threat of damage, looting and illicit trafficking, it is not yet clear whether we are winning this battle. For example, there are reports of the destruction and looting of archaeological sites in Libya and elsewhere, as well as the deliberate sabotaging and vandalizing of heritage-rich regions that have been swept up in ongoing conflict.
One reason for this is that preserving cultural heritage involves a complex web of relationships between the custodians, the public, and government agencies. It requires a balance between protecting cultural heritage from harm and providing people with an opportunity to experience it. It is not easy to strike this balance, but it is necessary in order to ensure that the heritage of all peoples continues to be preserved and enjoyed for generations to come.