Task 1 – Review context – Anglo American Social Way toolkit

PLAN

A scoping of cultural heritage should be undertaken as early as possible in the asset lifecycle. Sites in Discovery should conduct a provisional assessment, with a more comprehensive scoping carried out in the Project Development stage (see Section 2).

If the scoping shows the potential for significant impacts on cultural heritage, a Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) may be needed.

Regardless of whether cultural heritage is screened in under Task 1 of Section 2 – Review and Planning, all sites must have a Chance Find Procedure (CFP) (see 4H.2 Task 6).

The extent of the scoping exercise required will depend on the size of the project/site, the results of previous cultural heritage investigations in the area (if any), and host-country cultural heritage requirements. In some cases, for example where the area has been extensively mapped already, the scoping may only need a combination of desktop research and stakeholder consultations; in others, a field survey might be necessary.

Task 1 – Review context

The cultural heritage landscape across the site’s area of influence should be mapped. The objective is to develop an overall picture of cultural heritage in the region as a basis for understanding the different ways in which a site might affect both tangible and intangible cultural heritage, now or in the future.

Table 4H.1 provides an overview of the different types of cultural heritage that sites should map. Information should be drawn from multiple sources, including national archives, previous specialist studies, cultural heritage specialists and discussions with stakeholders. All cultural heritage should be described, listed and inventoried.

TABLE 4H.1 Tangible and intangible cultural heritage

Tangible cultural heritage ¹	Intangible cultural heritage ²
Archaeological resources: Concentrated and patterned physical remains of past human activity. A resource may include artefacts, plant, human and animal remains, structural remains, and soil features. This definition includes prehistoric and historic terrestrial and marine archaeological sites. Built heritage resources: Above-ground, standing structures (buildings, monuments, infrastructure, etc.) or groups of structures with historical, cultural, religious, and/or artistic value to stakeholders. Living heritage resources: A structure or natural landscape feature that is a part of a living cultural tradition and/or where stakeholders enact, perform, and/or practice cultural traditions and activities.	Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects. It also includes traditions or living expressions inherited and passed on, such as: oral traditions performing arts social practices, rituals, festive events knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts. The importance of intangible cultural heritage is not the cultural manifestation itself, but rather the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next. The social and economic value of this transmission of knowledge is relevant for minority groups and for mainstream social groups.

Tangible cultural heritage ¹

Intangible cultural heritage ²

Archaeological resources: Concentrated and patterned physical remains of past human activity. A resource may include artefacts, plant, human and animal remains, structural remains, and soil features. This definition includes prehistoric and historic terrestrial and marine archaeological sites.
Built heritage resources: Above-ground, standing structures (buildings, monuments, infrastructure, etc.) or groups of structures with historical, cultural, religious, and/or artistic value to stakeholders.
Living heritage resources: A structure or natural landscape feature that is a part of a living cultural tradition and/or where stakeholders enact, perform, and/or practice cultural traditions and activities.

Cultural heritage does not end at monuments and collections of objects. It also includes traditions or living expressions inherited and passed on, such as:

oral traditions
performing arts
social practices, rituals, festive events
knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe
the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts.

The importance of intangible cultural heritage is not the cultural manifestation itself, but rather the wealth of knowledge and skills that is transmitted through it from one generation to the next. The social and economic value of this transmission of knowledge is relevant for minority groups and for mainstream social groups.

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¹International Finance Corporation (IFC) (2012) Performance Standards on Environmental and Social Sustainability. Available at: https://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/c02c2e86-e6cd-4b55-95a2-b3395d204279/IFC_Performance_Standards.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CVID=kTjHBzk (Accessed: December 2019)

²United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (2011) Infokit 2011 - What is intangible cultural heritage? Available at: https://ich.unesco.org/en/what-is-intangible-heritage-00003 (Accessed: December 2019)

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Task 1 – Review context