Patrimonito means ‘small heritage’ in Spanish and the character represents a young heritage guardian. Patrimonito has been widely adopted as the international mascot of the World Heritage Education Program.

Patrimonito was created in 1995 by a group of Spanish-speaking students during a workshop at the 1st World Heritage Youth Forum held in Bergen, Norway. Students designed Patrimonito on the basis of the World Heritage Emblem which symbolizes the interdependence of cultural and natural sites: the central square is a form created by people and the circle represents nature, the two being intimately linked; the emblem is round like the world and at the same time a symbol of protection.

In 2002 a cartoon series entitled Patrimonito’s World Heritage Adventures was launched where Patrimonito introduces World Heritage sites, the threats they are facing and proposes solutions to preserve them. Storyboards were chosen following a competition among secondary school students to raise their awareness of the importance of World Heritage and their role in preserving it. The competition was organized by UNESCO on the occasion of the celebration of the 30th Anniversary of the World Heritage Convention in 2002. The selected storyboards are professionally animated and produced in CD-ROM format for global diffusion to schools and at World Heritage Youth events.

The cartoon films are based on storyboards made ‘by young people for young people’ and selected during a Patrimonito Storyboard Competition. They are proving to be useful teaching support materials. They are becoming popular at events held by UNESCO.

Persian Zebra or Iranian Zebra, is one of the species of Asian Zebra (Equus hemionus) and a large mammal belonging to the horse family. It is indigenous to the deserts of Iran, Syria, India and Tibet. Persian Zebra is similar to a donkey but slightly larger in size.
Persian Zebra is now critically endangered, and the remaining numbers can now be found in two areas of Iran, including in Touran National Park and other protected areas of Bahram’gur.
Destruction of the natural habitats for these animals, lack of proper management of protected areas and hunting are only a few factors that have threatened the survival of these animals. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) currently lists the animals in the Valley as “endangered”.
There is currently no accurate official count of these zebras. The Environmental Protection Agency recently announced that the number is 330, while only last autumn 2012, there were over 433 of them still alive. It then looks like that in the last six months; over 110 of them have died.
It seems that more attention and serious measures need to take place in order to preserve Persian Zebra.

Our Heritage activists (Iran / Branch) are reporting that the Shushtar historical hydraulic systems are in danger of major deterioration and destruction.  The site which was inscribed in 2009 as a “historical hydraulic masterpiece of creative genius” by UNESCO is an Iranian national heritage site and can be traced back to Darius the Great in the 5th century B.C.   It involved the creation of two main diversion canals on the river Kârun one of which, Gargar canal, is still in use providing water to the city of Shushtar via a series of tunnels that supply water to mills. It forms a spectacular cliff from which water cascades into a downstream basin. It then enters the plain situated south of the city where it has enabled the planting of orchards and farming over a vast area known as Mianâb (Paradise). The property has an ensemble of remarkable sites including the Salâsel Castel, the operation centre of the entire hydraulic system, the tower where the water level is measured, damns, bridges, basins and mills.

It is believed by international experts; engineers and archeologists that the Sassanid engineers had created a structure that was a masterpiece.  The river was channeled to form a moat around the city, while bridges and main gates into Shushtar were built to the east, west, and south. Several rivers nearby are conducive to the extension of agriculture and the cultivation of sugar cane. A system of subterranean channels called Ghanats, connected the river to the private reservoirs of houses and buildings, and supplied water for domestic use and irrigation, as well as to store and supply water during times of war when the main gates were closed. Traces of these ghanats can still be found in the crypts of some houses. This complex system of irrigation degenerated during the 19th century. 

Over the last ten years, neglect of the cultural heritage in Iran has escalated and has impacted many historical and heritage sites and in the case of Shushtar Historical Hydraulic Systems, UNESCO demanded (in April 2011) that Iranian government submit explanations regarding the situation following the collapse of a portion of the Gargar Bridge at the Shushtar’s ancient water system. 

Professor Maurizio Forte of Duke University has managed to make archeology more interesting to many students who normally, perhaps, would not be taking archeology classes.  However, Forte’s new approach is now attracting new students with backgrounds in computer science, environmental sciences as well as arts and architecture.  Using satellite photos and high-tech imaging technology Forte and his class take a look at the remains of a Roman villa hidden below ground. Using this remote data, students are creating a virtual replica of the building.

Forte and his class work in an Immersive Virtual Environment facility where they can examine virtual ruins in Turkey, China, Italy and elsewhere. This way, they can virtually bring ancient civilizations back to life, and simulate them with an unusual level of detail and accuracy but at the same time making the distinction between re-creating the site/community and simulating it.  Forte and his students apply their knowledge of these ancient places and peoples while learning more about the design as well as how people lived.

Professor Forte believes that technology used in innovative ways can be a catalyst for new ideas and by combining the talents of people with different backgrounds and approaches it is possible to share knowledge and take a different approach to teaching archeology.

With permission from PastHorizons.