HEADLINES
- Report from IPHC conference - Punta Arenas, Chile (Spanish)
- Meeting in Polar Anthropology & Archaeology - Brazil, August 2010
- IPHC conference 2010 - Punta Arenas, Chile. Programme and information
- New Membership list (May2010)
- IPHC Annual report for 2009 to the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
- Australian government grant for Mawson’s hut project in Antarctica
- Kinnvika - IGY staion in Svalbard gains legal protection
- “In Care of the Southern Ocean” - The history of human contact with the Auckland Islands
- Antarctic Treaty meeting (2009) adopts guidelines for the designation of historic sites and monuments
- Two new historic sites listed at Antarctic Treaty meeting 2009 (See sites 83 & 84)
- NEW REPORT (French) - “ArchæObs." French /International expedition to historic sites on Kerguelen Is.
- NEW IPHC PUBLICATION - ICOMOS Monuments & Sites series. ORDER YOUR COPY !!
- Sealers of Desolation / Phoquiers de la Désolation - Hunting of seals on Kerguelen. New historic book in French
- Follow the AHT Ross Sea conservation project ‘live’ from Scott Base via Natural History Museum
- New report - Analysis of timber weathering and wind velocity at Cape Adare
- International Polar Year - climate change and polar heritage (Norwegian)
- Reports on archaeological project - Kerguelen Islands (English, French & German)
- “Archaeology on Ice” - download a review of archaeological projects in Antarctica
- Action plan for cultural heritage protection in the Nordic Arctic
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This site is provided by the International Polar Heritage Committee (IPHC) as a resource of information on matters related to the human heritage of Arctic and Antarctic regions. It is offered to everyone with an interest in the preservation and protection of the history of exploration, research and exploitation in polar areas.
The IPHC does not claim to have specific expertise in matters related to the indigenous heritage of Arctic regions but it is committed to co-operate closely with groups that do.
Our aim is make this web site as comprehensive and accurate as possible with regular updates of news so we suggest you check the site often. If you have information or suggestions which you would like us to include please contact us.
What is polar heritage?
There are a vast number of sites in the polar regions of both the Arctic and Antarctica which contain valuable information about the human heritage of these regions.
The sites take many forms such as ;
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Structures such as the buildings that formed the bases for the “heroic era” explorers of Antarctica and the huts of trappers in Arctic areas.
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The remains of factories, machinery and equipment from the whaling and sealing eras.
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Depots of food and other supplies left by early explorers.
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Historic crosses, graves and other memorials which mark the sites of historic events.
The IPHC is a scientific committee of ICOMOS.
ICOMOS is the International Council on Monuments and Sites / Conseil International des Monuments et des Sites
ICOMOS is a non-governmental organisation of professional cultural heritage workers, which serves as an advisory body to UNESCO on matters related to world heritage.
It was founded in 1965, and now has national committees in more than 90 countries.
In addition to national committees ICOMOS has 21 international scientific committees for specialised subjects.
ICOMOS works to protect and conserve cultural heritage throughout the world.