New Inscriptions in 2024

Badain Jaran Desert

Badain Jaran Desert is located in the Alashan Plateau in the hyper-arid and temperate desert region of northwestern China and contains concentrated distribution of mega-dunes with a relative height of more than 200 metres, and the inter-dunal lake basins. It is an ideal place for the study of the ongoing evolutionary processes of desert geomorphology in the temperate extreme arid desert region.

Community Perspective: This site has been unreviewed so far.

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Lençóis Maranhenses National Park

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park has a 70km long coastline known for its high amount of dunes. During the rainy season, colourful lagoons arise amidst the dune fields in temporary ponds above a layer of impermeable rock. The park also has a variety of mammal, bird and plant species.

Community Perspective: Best reached from the hub of Barrerinhas, where frequent (half) day tours will lead you to the dunes and the lakes. Rafabram has described the experience of such a tour.

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Marquesas Islands

Te Henua Enata – The Marquesas Islands are an archipelago of volcanic origin in the South Pacific Ocean, politically part of French Polynesia. Due to the great geographical isolation and its rugged topography, the archipelago has developed a unique terrestrial and marine ecosystem. Many endemic species, flora and fauna, are specific to the archipelago, sometimes to a single island, or even to a single peak. The settlement history of the Marquesas has not yet been fully explored. The inhabitants developed a specific culture and artistic style. Most remarkable are the ‘Tiki’ stone sculptures, most of which can be found on the island of Hiva Oa.

Community Perspective: This site has been unreviewed so far.

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Melka Kunture and Balchit

Melka Kunture is an ancient volcanic landscape in the Awash Valley used by humans since prehistory. Tens of thousands of lithic tools, faunal and some human fossilized remains have been discovered. The tools were mainly made of obsidian, of which the primary source is at Balchit.

Community Perspective: Daytrips from Addis to the WHS of Tiya also often include Melka Kunture as it is on the way. Boj recommends the on site museum.

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Moidams

Moidams comprise the 12th-18th century Mound-Burial system of the Ahom Dynasty. The Tai-Ahom migrated here from China. The moidams contain the burial places of their royals.

Community Perspective: Tamas has provided a full overview of the site's history and visiting situation from early 2024.

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Tell Umm Amer

Tell Umm Amer is an archaeological site in the Gaza Strip that comprises the remains of the Monastery of Saint Hilarion. In the Byzantine period, it was one of the largest monastic complexes in the Levant. The oldest remains date from the fourth century and are attributed to Saint Hilarion, who is considered the founder of monasticism in Palestine.

Community Perspective: This site has been unreviewed so far.

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The Flow Country

The Flow Country in northern Scotland is considered the largest area of blanket bog in the world, representing 1.5% of the global total. Covering 4,000km2 the bog landscape and surrounding heathland remains largely undisturbed and its wide range of vegetation provides habitat to a large range of birds, including an abundance of raptors, waterfowl and waders. The site would be unique if inscribed for being the only site listed because of its bog/ peatland.

Community Perspective: The visitor center at Forsinard is a logical port of call, and can even be reached by train from Inverness as James has attested. To see more, it's best to rent a car and drive through this landscape of wild “Wuthering heights” charm like Caspar did.

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The Pleistocene Occupation Sites of South Africa

The Emergence of Modern Humans: The Pleistocene occupation sites of South Africa is a serial nomination of three sites related to the emergence of modern humans (homo sapiens), mostly caves and rock shelters, where stone tool, charcoals, ashes, skulls and bones of homo sapiens. Some caves showed evidence of bone tools, arrowheads, marine-shells beads, grass bedding and medicinal plants. They represent well-preserved state sequences from 200’000 to 20’000 years. Community Perspective: This site has not been reviewed yet.

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The Royal Court of Tiébélé

The Royal Court of Tiébélé represents a form of vernacular architecture and traditions from the 16th century. It comprises a large compound of painted houses, which are traditionally decorated by the women. The buildings are made of earth, wood and straw.

Community Perspective: This small compound is easily accessible by public transport from nearby Po (Jarek) or by 4h taxi from Ouagadougou (Ammon). There's an entrance fee and an obligatory guide, though the site doesn't seem to be maintained well.

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Umm Al-Jimāl

Umm al-Jimal comprises a ruined town from the Nabatean, Late Roman and Byzantine-Umayyad periods. The settlement was built in an arid basaltic landscape. It held 16 churches from its heydays as a trading town in the 5th – 7th centuries.

Community Perspective: Wojciech visited in 2017 and found a huge site that takes 2-3 hours to explore.

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Vjetrenica Cave

Vjetrenica is the largest cave in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with 7.6 km of passages. It is one of the most biodiverse in the world, with more than 200 animal species (37 endemic), including 92 troglobites.

Community Perspective: Zoë went looking for aquatic salamanders in the dark in the off-season.

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Migratory Bird Sanctuaries China

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The Migratory Bird Sanctuaries along the Coast of Yellow Sea - Bohai Gulf of China cover a mudflat system serving as bird foraging and resting areas.

The sanctuaries are part of the largest intertidal mudflat system in the world. Its habitats are crucial for the survival of migratory birds such as the Spoon-billed Sandpiper and Nordmann’s Greenshank.

Community Perspective: Zoë visited the "National Nature Reserve for Rare Birds" near Yancheng, a visitor center for the area, and advises to come in November (but she did see red-crowned cranes and Siberian cranes in September). Zos has gone into more detail about where the core zone starts around this reserve, while Els gave the latest update on getting there.

Moravian Church Settlements

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The Moravian Church Settlements are townscapes that resulted from planned idealized Protestant colonies.

From the German village of Herrnhut, the first Moravian missions were directed to northern Europe and Christiansfeld in Denmark is the best-preserved example of such settlements. New Moravian congregations were subsequently established in continental Europe, Great Britain and Northern Ireland (Gracehill), and North America (Bethlehem).

Community Perspective: In Christiansfeld there is a heritage trail with 27 locations that you can follow around town, but it still covers two streets only. Caspar stayed overnight and Jay compares Christiansfeld with a visit to Moravian Bethlehem and Solivagant has covered Gracehill and Matejicek Herrnhut.