A data model for Cultural Heritage within INSPIRE.

Esta monografía presenta los fundamentos, contexto y detalles técnicos de un Esquema de Aplicación para la incorporación de datos espaciales relativos al patrimonio cultural en el marco definido por la directiva europea INSPIRE sobre información geográfica. Abstract: This monograph presents the background, context and technical details of an Application Schema for the inclusion of cultural heritage spatial data into the INSPIRE framework. Nowadays, INSPIRE provides the most relevant framework for the dissemination and exchange of geographical data, covering many different thematic fields, particularly relevant for envi-ronmental datasets. Although cultural heritage elements are partially addressed within INSPIRE, there is no specific documentation on how these data should be considered, structured and published. This text aims to provide technical guidelines for decision makers, public administrations and the scientific community for the definition and implementation of harmonized datasets for cultural heritage, according to the interoperability principles of INSPIRE.

The historical heritage of domestic architecture is a reliable model for a satisfactory design. The case of the Mediterranean region

The purpose of this paper is to expose the importance of observing cultural systems present in a territory as a reference for the design of urban infrastructures in the new cities and regions of rapid development. If we accept the idea that architecture is an instrument or cultural system developed by man to act as an intermediary to the environment, it is necessary to understand the elemental interaction between man and his environment to meet a satisfactory design. To illustrate this purpose, we present the case of the Eurasian Mediterranean region, where the architectural culture acts as a cultural system of adaptation to the environment and it is formed by an ancient process of selection. From simple observation of architectural types, construction systems and environmental mechanisms treasured in mediterranean historical heritage we can extract crucial information about this elemental interaction. Mediterranean architectural culture has environmental mechanisms responding to the needs of basics habitability, ethnics and passive conditioning. These mechanisms can be basis of an innovative design without compromising the diversity and lifestyles of human groups in the region. The main fundament of our investigation is the determination of the historical heritage of domestic architecture as holder of the formation process of these mechanisms. The result allows us to affirm that the successful introduction of new urban infrastructures in an area need a reliable reference and it must be a cultural system that entailing in essence the environmental conditioning of human existence. The urban infrastructures must be sustainable, understood and accepted by the inhabitants. The last condition is more important when the urban infrastructures are implemented in areas that are developing rapidly or when there is no architectural culture.

Paisajes de la sal en Andalucía

Los paisajes protagonistas de esta investigación han sido creados gracias a la actividad de las salinas, explotaciones “donde se beneficia la sal de las aguas del mar o de ciertos manantiales, cuando se ha evaporado el agua.” (RAE). Son lugares de características únicas, tanto por sus valores naturales y medioambientales, como por los valores culturales, patrimoniales, históricos, sociales e identitarios, “resultado de la acción e interacción de factores naturales y humanos en el territorio” (CEP, 2000). Existen salinas en muchos lugares del mundo, pero es en la Península Ibérica donde se encuentra la mayor concentración de estas explotaciones en toda Europa y, por consiguiente, de los singulares paisajes asociados y generados por ellas. Es también la única región europea donde existen salinas de interior que utilizan métodos de evaporación para la obtención de sal: las energías y circunstancias naturales aprovechadas en ellas, sol, viento, gravedad y humedad relativa, propician la evaporación del agua salada, una de las estrategias fundamentales para su funcionamiento. Esta circunstancia determina su posición geográfica en el territorio y su dependencia de los ciclos climáticos estacionales, del régimen hidrológico, la estructura geológica del subsuelo, la geomorfología y la acción humana para potenciar la eficiencia de los procesos productivos, creando para ello un extenso e interesante patrimonio natural y cultural en torno a ellas. Por tanto, son también paisajes culturales, resultado de un proceso artesanal de producción y comercialización de la sal, que se articula a través de la construcción de una serie de instalaciones preindustriales diseminadas y conectadas en puntos estratégicos del territorio costero e interior. La presente tesis aborda la grave situación a la que se enfrentan en la actualidad los paisajes ibéricos de la sal, concretamente los ubicados en la Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía, que están sufriendo un ávido proceso de abandono y desaparición desde mediados del s. XX, con la consiguiente pérdida para la sociedad de este valioso patrimonio cultural y natural, que se ha ido construyendo durante siglos, prácticamente desde el inicio de la humanidad. De las diversas tipologías de salinas que existen, se han seleccionado las explotaciones, tanto marítimas como de interior, que utilizan o han utilizado en su origen técnicas de explotación artesanal basadas en la evaporación. El interés de esta acotación tipológica se ha basado en las relaciones de dependencia que estas explotaciones de sal establecen con el entorno físico y climático donde se ubican para poder existir y funcionar. El objetivo principal de esta investigación ha perseguido el establecimiento y definición de un marco territorial, global e integrador, para los paisajes culturales salineros andaluces, a través de la observación directa realizada durante el trabajo de campo, el análisis de textos, imágenes, documentos, gráficos, palabras y entrevistas abiertas. Lo anterior ha permitido identificar, clasificar, analizar y valorar sus principales características y su evolución en el tiempo, identificando las causas del deterioro y desaparición del patrimonio salinero, evaluando la efectividad de las iniciativas, públicas y/o privadas, y de las figuras de protección, así como analizar las relaciones que establecen con su entorno próximo, con los núcleos de población y habitantes a los que sirven, la red de carreteas y caminos que las conectan y los ríos y mares que las proveen de materia prima. Finalmente, se ha establecido una sistemática integral de análisis, con el fin de poder actuar, a partir del conocimiento, a favor de la gestión, salvaguarda y pervivencia de los excepcionales valores culturales y naturales, que definen el carácter e identidad de estos singulares paisajes. ----------------------ABSTRACT----------------- The landscapes of this research have been created by the activity of saltworks, sites “where salt from sea water or certain springs is obtained, when water evaporates.” (RAE). They are places with unique characteristics, because of their natural and environmental values, as well as their cultural, historic and social values, their heritage and identity, “the result of the action and interaction of natural and human factors on the territory” (European Landscape Convention, 2000). There are many saltworks in many places around the world, but it is in the Iberian Peninsula where we find the highest concentration of salt industries within Europe and, therefore, the particular landscapes associated and created by them. It is as well the only European region where we can find inland saltworks with evaporation methods to obtain salt: the energies and natural circumstances used in them are sun, wind, gravity and relative humidity, favouring salt water evaporation, one of the main strategies of their functioning. This circumstance determines their geographic position in the territory and its dependence on seasonal climatic cycles, hydrological regimes, geological subsoil structure, geomorphology and human action to strengthen productive processes efficiency, creating an extensive and interesting natural and cultural heritage around them. Therefore, they are also cultural landscapes, result of a traditional salt production process and marketing, organized through the construction of certain preindustrial buildings scattered and connected in strategic inland and seaside spots. This thesis deals with the plight today’s salt landscapes are facing, particularly those within the Andalucian Region, since the middle of the 20th century undergoing an avid process of abandonment and disappearance, meaning a great loss for society of a cultural and natural heritage constructed along centuries, almost since the beginning of mankind. Among the diverse typologies of saltworks, the selection made consists on those inland and seaside ones, which use or have originally used traditional production techniques based on evaporation. The interest in this particular saltwork typology is based on the dependency relationships these industries establish with the environment and climate where they are located, in order to be able to exist and function. The main goal of this research has pursued to establish and define a global and inclusive territorial framework for Andalucian cultural saltworks landscapes, through direct observation carried out during fieldwork, analysis of texts, images, documents, graphs, words and open interviews. All of it has allowed to identify, classify, analyze and evaluate their main characteristics and evolution over time, identifying the causes of deterioration and disappearance of the saltworks heritage, assessing the effectiveness of public and private initiatives, and protection projects, as well as analyzing the relationships with their surroundings, population centers and residents they serve, road networks connecting them and rivers and seas supplying the raw material. Finally, a comprehensive analysis systematic has been established, in order to be able to take action, with knowledge as starting point, for the management, preservation and survival of the unique cultural and natural values that define the character and identity of these singular landscapes.

Paisajes de la sal en Andalucía

Los paisajes protagonistas de esta investigación han sido creados gracias a la actividad de las salinas, explotaciones “donde se beneficia la sal de las aguas del mar o de ciertos manantiales, cuando se ha evaporado el agua.” (RAE). Son lugares de características únicas, tanto por sus valores naturales y medioambientales, como por los valores culturales, patrimoniales, históricos, sociales e identitarios, “resultado de la acción e interacción de factores naturales y humanos en el territorio” (CEP, 2000). Existen salinas en muchos lugares del mundo, pero es en la Península Ibérica donde se encuentra la mayor concentración de estas explotaciones en toda Europa y, por consiguiente, de los singulares paisajes asociados y generados por ellas. Es también la única región europea donde existen salinas de interior que utilizan métodos de evaporación para la obtención de sal: las energías y circunstancias naturales aprovechadas en ellas, sol, viento, gravedad y humedad relativa, propician la evaporación del agua salada, una de las estrategias fundamentales para su funcionamiento. Esta circunstancia determina su posición geográfica en el territorio y su dependencia de los ciclos climáticos estacionales, del régimen hidrológico, la estructura geológica del subsuelo, la geomorfología y la acción humana para potenciar la eficiencia de los procesos productivos, creando para ello un extenso e interesante patrimonio natural y cultural en torno a ellas. Por tanto, son también paisajes culturales, resultado de un proceso artesanal de producción y comercialización de la sal, que se articula a través de la construcción de una serie de instalaciones preindustriales diseminadas y conectadas en puntos estratégicos del territorio costero e interior. La presente tesis aborda la grave situación a la que se enfrentan en la actualidad los paisajes ibéricos de la sal, concretamente los ubicados en la Comunidad Autónoma de Andalucía, que están sufriendo un ávido proceso de abandono y desaparición desde mediados del s. XX, con la consiguiente pérdida para la sociedad de este valioso patrimonio cultural y natural, que se ha ido construyendo durante siglos, prácticamente desde el inicio de la humanidad. De las diversas tipologías de salinas que existen, se han seleccionado las explotaciones, tanto marítimas como de interior, que utilizan o han utilizado en su origen técnicas de explotación artesanal basadas en la evaporación. El interés de esta acotación tipológica se ha basado en las relaciones de dependencia que estas explotaciones de sal establecen con el entorno físico y climático donde se ubican para poder existir y funcionar. El objetivo principal de esta investigación ha perseguido el establecimiento y definición de un marco territorial, global e integrador, para los paisajes culturales salineros andaluces, a través de la observación directa realizada durante el trabajo de campo, el análisis de textos, imágenes, documentos, gráficos, palabras y entrevistas abiertas. Lo anterior ha permitido identificar, clasificar, analizar y valorar sus principales características y su evolución en el tiempo, identificando las causas del deterioro y desaparición del patrimonio salinero, evaluando la efectividad de las iniciativas, públicas y/o privadas, y de las figuras de protección, así como analizar las relaciones que establecen con su entorno próximo, con los núcleos de población y habitantes a los que sirven, la red de carreteas y caminos que las conectan y los ríos y mares que las proveen de materia prima. Finalmente, se ha establecido una sistemática integral de análisis, con el fin de poder actuar, a partir del conocimiento, a favor de la gestión, salvaguarda y pervivencia de los excepcionales valores culturales y naturales, que definen el carácter e identidad de estos singulares paisajes. ----------------------ABSTRACT----------------- The landscapes of this research have been created by the activity of saltworks, sites “where salt from sea water or certain springs is obtained, when water evaporates.” (RAE). They are places with unique characteristics, because of their natural and environmental values, as well as their cultural, historic and social values, their heritage and identity, “the result of the action and interaction of natural and human factors on the territory” (European Landscape Convention, 2000). There are many saltworks in many places around the world, but it is in the Iberian Peninsula where we find the highest concentration of salt industries within Europe and, therefore, the particular landscapes associated and created by them. It is as well the only European region where we can find inland saltworks with evaporation methods to obtain salt: the energies and natural circumstances used in them are sun, wind, gravity and relative humidity, favouring salt water evaporation, one of the main strategies of their functioning. This circumstance determines their geographic position in the territory and its dependence on seasonal climatic cycles, hydrological regimes, geological subsoil structure, geomorphology and human action to strengthen productive processes efficiency, creating an extensive and interesting natural and cultural heritage around them. Therefore, they are also cultural landscapes, result of a traditional salt production process and marketing, organized through the construction of certain preindustrial buildings scattered and connected in strategic inland and seaside spots. This thesis deals with the plight today’s salt landscapes are facing, particularly those within the Andalucian Region, since the middle of the 20th century undergoing an avid process of abandonment and disappearance, meaning a great loss for society of a cultural and natural heritage constructed along centuries, almost since the beginning of mankind. Among the diverse typologies of saltworks, the selection made consists on those inland and seaside ones, which use or have originally used traditional production techniques based on evaporation. The interest in this particular saltwork typology is based on the dependency relationships these industries establish with the environment and climate where they are located, in order to be able to exist and function. The main goal of this research has pursued to establish and define a global and inclusive territorial framework for Andalucian cultural saltworks landscapes, through direct observation carried out during fieldwork, analysis of texts, images, documents, graphs, words and open interviews. All of it has allowed to identify, classify, analyze and evaluate their main characteristics and evolution over time, identifying the causes of deterioration and disappearance of the saltworks heritage, assessing the effectiveness of public and private initiatives, and protection projects, as well as analyzing the relationships with their surroundings, population centers and residents they serve, road networks connecting them and rivers and seas supplying the raw material. Finally, a comprehensive analysis systematic has been established, in order to be able to take action, with knowledge as starting point, for the management, preservation and survival of the unique cultural and natural values that define the character and identity of these singular landscapes.

Using cloud technologies for engaging people with cultural heritage

Cultural heritage is an important asset of Europe which is largely underexplored. One of the main reasons is that the general public do not really incorporate cultural activities in their life style. Currently, curators and professionals in the heritage sector face the toughest challenges on how to attract, engage and retain visitors of heritage institutions (libraries, museums, archives and historical societies). TAG CLOUD FP7 European project seeks to overcome this situation and promote lifelong engagement with culture by personalising the visitors? cultural experiences through cloud technologies.

Promotion of intangible heritage as a tool to strengthen revitalisation of historic centres: the case of de Monumenta Programme in the City of Porto Alegre (Rio Grande do Sul State) Brazil

The preservation of tangible cultural heritage does not guarantee effective revitalisation of urban historic areas as a whole. The legacy of our history consists not only of paintings, sculptures, architectural monuments and public spaces, but also the safeguarding of immaterial aspects of social life, such as oral traditions, rituals, practices, knowledge and craft skills. From 1999 to 2013, 26 Brazilian cities benefited from the Monumenta Programme - a national cultural policy that involved institutions, the private sector and the local community. The purpose of the programme was to stimulate economic growth and increase cultural and social development of the historic centres. Moreover, it sought to increase the number of residents in the benefited areas as defined in its agenda (IDB, 1999; MinC & Programa Monumenta, 2006). Using the Historic Centre of Porto Alegre as a case study, this paper examines how this cultural programme enables demographic change through the promotion of intangible cultural heritage, e.g. by supporting educational projects. The demographic flow was analysed using the microdata of the Populations Censuses (years 2000 and 2010) available from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. The results showed an increase in low-income residents the areas that participated in the programme. This increase may have been motivated by a set of cultural-educational projects under the auspices of the Monumenta Programme. The retraining of artisans of Alfândega Square, the training of low-income youth for restoration work and the implementation of the "Black Route Museum in Porto Alegre" (Bicca, 2010) are just some examples of what was done to improve the local community's economy, to encourage social cohesion and to enhance the awareness of cultural diversity as a positive and essential value in society.

Toynbee and the global comprehension of the historical heritage

Toynbee entendió que la historia es algo que sucede a personas como nosotros y de nuestro mismo mundo. Así toda la historia y todos aquellos restos que hemos recibido del pasado deben ser la base sobre la que reconstruir una relación más honesta entre nosotros, nuestras necesidades y nuestras mejores aspiraciones. Esta es la idea principal sobre la que gira la comprensión global de nuestra responsabilidad en la preservación de nuestra herencia natural y cultural. En cualquier lugar son abandonadas piezas históricas sin uso sin concederles un sentido. Redescubrir el nexo entre diferentes objetos arquitectónicos y poner de manifiesto para la gente común que sentido quieren transmitirnos es una de las más importantes e interesantes pro-puestas para explicar nuestra historia.

Biochemical evolution III: Polymerization on organophilic silica-rich surfaces, crystal–chemical modeling, formation of first cells, and geological clues

Catalysis at organophilic silica-rich surfaces of zeolites and feldspars might generate replicating biopolymers from simple chemicals supplied by meteorites, volcanic gases, and other geological sources. Crystal–chemical modeling yielded packings for amino acids neatly encapsulated in 10-ring channels of the molecular sieve silicalite-ZSM-5-(mutinaite). Calculation of binding and activation energies for catalytic assembly into polymers is progressing for a chemical composition with one catalytic Al–OH site per 25 neutral Si tetrahedral sites. Internal channel intersections and external terminations provide special stereochemical features suitable for complex organic species. Polymer migration along nano/micrometer channels of ancient weathered feldspars, plus exploitation of phosphorus and various transition metals in entrapped apatite and other microminerals, might have generated complexes of replicating catalytic biomolecules, leading to primitive cellular organisms. The first cell wall might have been an internal mineral surface, from which the cell developed a protective biological cap emerging into a nutrient-rich “soup.” Ultimately, the biological cap might have expanded into a complete cell wall, allowing mobility and colonization of energy-rich challenging environments. Electron microscopy of honeycomb channels inside weathered feldspars of the Shap granite (northwest England) has revealed modern bacteria, perhaps indicative of Archean ones. All known early rocks were metamorphosed too highly during geologic time to permit simple survival of large-pore zeolites, honeycombed feldspar, and encapsulated species. Possible microscopic clues to the proposed mineral adsorbents/catalysts are discussed for planning of systematic study of black cherts from weakly metamorphosed Archaean sediments.

Bathymetric Terrain Model of the Puerto Rico Trench and the Northeastern Caribbean Region for Marine Geological Investigations

Multibeam bathymetric data collected in the Puerto Rico Trench and northeastern Caribbean region are compiled into a seamless bathymetric terrain model for broad-scale geological investigations of the trench system. These data, collected during eight separate surveys between 2002 and 2013 and covering almost 180,000 square kilometers, are published here in large-format map sheet and digital spatial data. This report describes the common multibeam data collection and processing methods used to produce the bathymetric terrain model and corresponding data-source polygon. Details documenting the complete provenance of the data are provided in the metadata in the Data Catalog section.

On Modeling an Innovative Monitoring Network for Protecting and Managing Cultural Heritage from Risk Events

In this paper the model of an Innovative Monitoring Network involving properly connected nodes to develop an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) solution for preventive maintenance of historical centres from early warnings is proposed. It is well known that the protection of historical centres generally goes from a large-scale monitoring to a local one and it could be supported by a unique ICT solution. More in detail, the models of a virtually organized monitoring system could enable the implementation of automated analyses by presenting various alert levels. An adequate ICT solution tool would allow to define a monitoring network for a shared processing of data and results. Thus, a possible retrofit solution could be planned for pilot cases shared among the nodes of the network on the basis of a suitable procedure utilizing a retrofit catalogue. The final objective would consist in providing a model of an innovative tool to identify hazards, damages and possible retrofit solutions for historical centres, assuring an easy early warning support for stakeholders. The action could proactively target the needs and requirements of users, such as decision makers responsible for damage mitigation and safeguarding of cultural heritage assets.

Conversion of a digital camera into a non-contact colorimeter for use in stone cultural heritage: The application case to Spanish granites

In this study, a digital CMOS camera was calibrated for use as a non-contact colorimeter for measuring the color of granite artworks. The low chroma values of the granite, which yield similar stimulation of the three color channels of the camera, proved to be the most challenging aspect of the task. The appropriate parameters for converting the device-dependent RGB color space into a device-independent color space were established. For this purpose, the color of a large number of Munsell samples (corresponding to the previously defined color gamut of granite) was measured with a digital camera and with a spectrophotometer (reference instrument). The color data were then compared using the CIELAB color formulae. The best correlations between measurements were obtained when the camera works to 10-bits and the spectrophotometric measures in SCI mode. Finally, the calibrated instrument was used successfully to measure the color of six commercial varieties of Spanish granite.

Teaching-learning process of historical heritage: a Journey as a beginning, path and end

The implantation of new university degrees within the European Higher Education Area implies the need of innovative methodologies in teaching and learning to improve the skills and competencies of students and to answer the growing needs that society continuously demands to heritage management experts. The present work shows an application of the teaching methodology proposed during the international workshop entitled “I International Planning Preservation Workshop. Learning from Al Andalus”, which included the participation of the University of Alicante and Granada, Università Politecnico di Milano and Hunter College City University of New York; where we tried to dissolve traditional boundaries derived of interuniversity cooperation programs. The main objective of the workshop was to discuss and debate the role of urban Historical Centers within the Global Heritage by the integrated work through multidisciplinary teams and the creation of a permanent international working group between these universities to both teach and research. The methodology of this workshop was very participatory and considered the idea of a new learning process generated by "a journey experience." A trip from global to local (from the big city to the small village) but also a trip from the local (historical) part of a big city to the global dimension of contemporary historical villages identified by the students through a system of exhibition panels in affinity groups, specific projects proposed by lecturers and teachers or the generation of publications in various areas (texts, photographs, videos, etc.). So, the participation of the students in this multidisciplinary meeting has enhanced their capacity for self-criticism in several disciplines and has promoted their ability to perform learning and research strategies in an autonomous way. As a result, it has been established a permanent international work structure for the development of projects of the Historical City. This relationship has generated the publication of several books whose contents have reflected the conclusions developed in the workshop and several teaching proposals shared between those institutions. All these aspects have generated a new way of understanding the teaching process through a journey, in order to study the representative role of university in the historical heritage and to make students (from planning, heritage management, architecture, geography, sociology, history or engineering areas) be compromised on searching strategies for sustainable development in the Contemporary City.