WHC 2023 (27)

Africa (2)
- Bale Mountains National Park (Ethiopia)
- Nyungwe National Park (Rwanda)

Arab States (3)
- Ancient Jericho/ Tell es-Sultan (Palestine)
- Island of Djerba (Tunisia)
- Archaeological Site of Marib (Yemen)

Asia and the Pacific (10)
- Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea-Bohai Gulf of China [Phase II] (China)
- Sacred Ensembles of the Hoysala (India)
- The Cosmological Axis of Yogyakarta and its Historic Landmarks (Indonesia)
- The Historical City of Masouleh (Iran)
- Cold Winter Deserts of Turan (Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan)
- Deer Stone Monuments, the Heart of Bronze Age Culture (Mongolia)
- Mrauk-U (Myanmar)
- Ancient Port of Banbhore (Pakistan)
- Tugai Forests of the Tigrovaya Balka Reserve (Tajikistan)
- Si Thep Historical Park (Thailand)

Europe & North America (9)
- Anticosti Island (Canada)
- Maison Carrée de Nîmes (France)
- Alpine and pre-alpine meadow and marsh landscapes (Germany)
- Zagorochoria – North Pindos National Park (Greece)
- Karst in the Evaporites and Caves of the Northern Apennines (Italy)
- Eise Eisinga Planetarium (Netherlands)
- Astronomical Observatories of Kazan Federal University (Russia)
- Historic Center of the Port City of Odessa (Ukraine)
- Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks (USA)

Latin America & Caribbean (3)
- ESMA Site Museum - Former Clandestine Centre of Detention, Torture, and Extermination (Argentina)
- Brazilian Fortresses Ensemble (Brazil)
- Jodensavanne and the Cassipora Creek (Suriname)

Hopewell Earthworks
@winterkjm
Any idea what is going on here regarding a golf course operating on the site? It seems amazingly late to still be changing/clarifying the legal issues regarding access to /use of a site which, if a decision is to be made at a 2023 WHC, should already have been visited and well into evaluation by now?? PS The above link from the NYT comes up against its paywall after a couple of views. this link from an alternative source may have to suffice instead. It covers the same issues.

It appears that the "8 locations" actually consist of a greater number of separate areas to be inscribed - the "Newark Earthworks in the cities of Newark and Heath is composed of three features that were once connected to each other and to other -- now destroyed -- earthworks by sets of parallel walls. The three components are the Octagon Earthworks, the Great Circle Earthworks, and the Wright Earthworks."....... " The Octagon Earthworks include an eight-sided structure with lunar alignments that encloses about 20 hectares. It is connected to a large circular enclosure by a short neck of parallel walls" .

Resolution of the "Golf course" issue at the Octagon Earthworks seems to have been "open" for a long time - here is another article from the NYT dated April 2021. Is the view that complete resolution doesn't need to have been reached before Inscription? Surely it could easily lead to a "Deferral" recommendation? Yet the nomination has proceeded - the US must think it doesn't matter? It looks as if some "body" will have to find lots of $$$$$ to "buy out" the lease under "eminent domain"! I wonder who?

When I was at the site, the Park Ranger that provided me a personal guided tour of Mound City (not busy at the time) said the issue with the golf course might derail the whole effort for world heritage status (this visit was July 1st, 2021). I think that is also true today, but it seems like the Ohio Supreme Court has sided with the Ohio History Connection and the National Park Service. The Moundbuilders Country Club has been controversial. There is an argument being made that being a golf course protected the site more than it otherwise would have been in the 20th century. The other argument (particularly for the 21st century), how can people play golf on an ancient ruin!

In addition to the NPS, I also visited the Newark Earthworks, which are very close to "The Octagon Earthworks" and traditionally are linked.

"There is some intrusion of discordant elements, such as a golf course at the Octagon Earthworks, but the scale of the Hopewell architecture dwarfs these intrusions and the visual unity of the major surviving remnants remains intact and impressive." - UNESCO Description

I have no idea what ICOMOS will decide, but since the Moundbuilders Country Club must now surrender their lease by selling, that can only be a good development in regards to world heritage.

Thanks for info
In all honesty it wouldn't really seem to matter much - even some poor players with big divots aren't going to do any harm! As long as they don't keep digging new bunkers. Not much different really from many grass covered archaeological sites around the world which have people walking on top of them......

The Google Maps "satellite view" provides some idea about what the Octagon Earthworks look like today (golf course and all), I would suggest zooming in a bit.

Wow that is amazing, certainly not something that would happen in 21st century USA, but I can understand how it would arrive in 1910. If my focus was purely on creating a gold course then these ready made features would be a real boon. The 3rd green surrounded by a circular earthen bank is incredible.

As Solivagant says any actual damage still being done by people playing golf is minimal. The main damage seems to have been done by running cart tracks through the mounds.

Having it as a Golf Course does remove the historic landscape and I imagine it is hard to appreciate it whilst there are golf balls whizzing around

ICOMOS is recommending all three sites for inscription on the World Heritage List and at the same time on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

- Lebanon: Rachid Karami International Fair-Tripoli
- Ukraine: Historic Center of the Port City of Odesa
- Yemen: Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba in Marib Governorate

https://whc.unesco.org/archive/2023/whc23-18extcom-5-en.pdf

More info:

https://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/18EXTCOM/documents

Soon 2 new connections could be created:

-Inscribed during an extraordinary session
-Sites of Memory Associated with Recent Conflicts

On January 24, mark your calendars, we will know more!

The Evaluation of Saba at the current 18th "Extraordinary Session" in Paris has provided more information on the site.

My review of the site published April 8 2022 suggested an increase in "locations" from 1 to 4 but 7 were actually nominated. To bring our information, locations and coordinates up to date

a. Alter the site name from "Archaeological Site of Marib" to "????". The Nomination calls it "Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba in Marib Governorate". But ICOMOS in its evaluation states "ICOMOS considers that since the governorate of Marib is a present-day administrative unit, which does not reflect the boundaries of the ancient Kingdom of Saba, there is no need to reference it in the name of the nominated property"....Clearly the site is more than just the site of Marib .... so simply "Landmarks of the Ancient Kingdom of Saba"???

b. Replace the current single location "Marib Dam" with
Ancient Dam of Ma'rib - Northern Bank 15.403144, 45.266197 (I have slightly corrected the Eval co-ords on this using the visible remains on Google Maps)
Ancient Dam of Ma'rib - Southern Bank 15.397569, 45.268753

c. Add the following 2 locations
Ancient Dam of Ma'rib - Dam of Al-Jufaynah 15.419983, 45.283690
Ancient City of Sirwah 15.451776, 45.018115

This info on the added location of Sirwah might be of interest - I note that main excavations there commenced as "recently" as 2001. We would have driven past it in 1996 without "knowing"!

Hirkan forests might be included in UNESCO Heritage list

Small article about the Azeri extension to the Hyrcanian forests of Iran.

They have already been confirmed for 2022 (which will be held in 2023 of course, but we keep the nominations separate).

And another Niemeyer site! -> https://www.architectural-review.com/buildings/revisit-rashid-karami-fairground-by-oscar-niemeyer

I am also wondering what the "emergency" is here. The damage has been done during the Lebanese Civil War. It may now be in such a state that it is almost beyond repair, and considering the financial situation of Lebanon there is no money to keep it up?

P.S.: found the ICOMOS reviews, and that indeed are the reasons..