Cultural Preservation

Inside the Collective That Turns VHS to Digital Video for Free

A team of media lovers wants to preserve your memories for history's sake

A woman in traditional Aymara dress sits with her daughter and their honored human skull, or ñatita, and a bag of coca leaves during the 2015 Fiesta de las Ñatitas in Bolivia.

Meet the Celebrity Skulls of Bolivia’s Fiesta de las Ñatitas

Each November, the Aymara people honor their special bond with the helpful spirits of the deceased

George Harrison’s master tapes for "All Things Must Pass" (pictured here in 1970) are likely well preserved, but many similar audio tapes of the era could be deteriorating.

History and Culture of the 1960s to 1980s Is Disintegrating With the Tapes That Recorded It

But a new test and a bit of chemistry can help preserve the past

See the Two Ship Graveyards That May Become New Marine Sanctuaries

The first marine sanctuaries approved by NOAA in 15 years are home to a plethora of shipwrecks

Will Catalan Elections Allow an Old Nation to Become a New State In Europe?

Catalonians have long asserted they are not part of Spain, now the historical question of independence is on the ballot

Reproduction of early English vessels at Jamestown, Virginia.

Rising Seas Threaten to Swallow These Ten Global Wonders

Climate change-induced increases in sea level are forcing archaeologists and communities to get creative and make tough calls

Preserving Old Computer Games Is Harder Than it Seems

There’s an art and a science to resurrecting now-defunct PC games

Construction Workers Found, and Then Tried to Hide an Ancient Sarcophagus

It turns out the now-damaged coffin is actually quite a find

There’s new Hope for Preserving the Wreck of the Titanic

30 years after its discovery, the Titanic is crumbling.

The Rama travel their coastal homeland with wooden dories and small motorboats, which would be eclipsed by megaships traversing the Nicaragua Canal.

How an Indigenous Group Is Battling Construction of the Nicaragua Canal

The Rama community's efforts offer a glimmer of hope for opponents of the canal project planned by a Chinese billionaire

The temple of Baalshamin in Palmyra, Syria in its former glory.

ISIS Recently Blew Up an Ancient Temple in Palmyra

The temple of Baalshamin was over 2,000 years old

These Academics Are Outracing (and Outwitting) ISIS

Historians, archaeologists and librarians scramble to save precious cultural capital before it can be sold or destroyed by militants

Here’s What the First Lady Has to Do if She Wants to Redecorate

A few throw pillows and a touch of new paint? No way.

Obama Just Established Three New National Monuments Covering Over a Million Acres

Art, fossils and natural beauty

Why Is there Wine on the UNESCO World Heritage List?

Bordeaux, Champagne wine regions get world heritage designations

Little Havana, Miami, Florida.

These Are the Most Threatened Historical Places in America

The Grand Canyon, The Factory and the A.G. Gaston Motel are just a few of the 11 names on the list

The famous Cyclone roller coaster in Coney Island, New York.

Ride America's Most Historic Roller Coasters

This summer, ride the coasters that add history to their thrills

Inspired by the quote “you must be the change you wish to see in the world, the artists of the S.A.G.E. Coalition in Trenton, New Jersey transformed an abandoned lot into a vibrant community garden and gathering space.

Growing a Digital Garden Archive

The Smithsonian issues a call to preserve American garden heritage with a website that collects personal stories, photos, video and audio

Librarian Aboubakar Yaro examines an Islamic manuscript from the 17th century at the Djenne Library of Manuscipts, in Djenne, Mali, September 2012. Djenne is thought to have at least 10,000 manuscripts held in private collections, dating from the 14th to 20th centuries.

Why We Have a Civic Responsibility to Protect Cultural Treasures During Wartime

With the recent deliberate destruction of cultural treasures in the Middle East, we remember the measures taken in the past to preserve our heritage

One of the colossal Buddha statues, before it was destroyed.

Planned Afghan Cultural Center Will Honor Ancient Statues Destroyed by the Taliban

The winning design will memorialize two ancient Buddha statues demolished in 2001

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