Download Geological Heritage and Geodiversity of South

Geological Heritage and Geodiversity
of South-East Europe:
Significance for Culture and Tourism
by Ivan ZAGORCHEV
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
WaterfallGeological Heritage and
Geodiversity of South-East Europe:
Significance for Culture and Tourism
Bildiri Ozetleri, p. 44
Paris Declaration, Feb. 12-13, 2008
“Therefore, we . . .
4. Encourage the geosciences communities to ….. let society
benefit from the opportunities provided by a sustainable use of
the Earth’s resources;
By . . .
d) Promoting awareness about the structure, evolution, beauty
and diversity of the Earth System and its human cultures
inscribed in landscapes, through the establishment of
“Geoparks”, Biosphere Reserves and World Heritage Sites
as a public tool for conservation and development . . “
Preservation of the GEOLOGICAL HERITAGE
* Beautiful and impressive land forms
* Sites of special scientific importance
* Sites related to human mining activities
* Geological documents
* Geological objects conserved ex situ:
specimens of minerals, rocks, fossils, etc.
Preservation of the geological heritage
Ethics of MODERN CIVILIZATION
Harmony Human kind – Nature
Natural heritage
– Biological heritage – biodiversity
– Geological heritage –
- mineral heritage - mineral diversity
Archaeological and architectural heritage
The Balkan Peninsula and Anatolia
are particularly rich in cultural monuments
being one of the cradles of ancient
civilizations, and a natural bridge between
Europe and Asia.
The geological structure of the Balkan Peninsula has
been formed by vast transformations of the Earth’s
crust, and the onset, evolution and closure of the
Tethys ocean and the Paratethys basins. These
processes led to a significant geological and mineral
diversity that must be preserved and enriched as a
precious heritage of the region’s nations and of the
whole humanity.
Relics from the Cadomian
and the Hercynian orogens
Late Alpine orogens
on the Balkan Peninsula
Two principal types of orogens
may be outlined: (i) orogens
(Dinarides-Albanides-Hellenides;
Vardarides) issued from former
Tethyan oceanic and marginal
basins (subduction-related
imbrication of oceanic crust with
elements of the continental slope
and marginal arcs), (ii) orogens
(Srednogorie, Balkanides) issued
from peri-Tethyan basins and
epicontinental island arcs, rifts,
and flysch and molasse troughs.
Thracian “plateau”
The Thracian “plateau” (Thracian massif; Rhodope Massif
s.l.) represents an area of thickened continental crust
situated at the margin of the Tethys with the Eurasian
continent. In post-Palaeozoic times it was an unstable area of
shallow basins (Peri-Tethys; Paratethys) and island arcs, with
continuous exhumation of metamorphic and igneous rocks
of Cadomian, Hercynian and Alpine age.
Orogenic collapse
and the Paratethys
Formation and evolution
of the fluvial systems
Preservation of cultural diversity and of the
historic and cultural heritage is one of the
principal tasks of European cultural policy.
Cultural and historic heritage:
Neolithic and Chalcolithic
Primitive societies had been greatly dependent on stone:
Hence, the STONE AGE.
Importance of rock and stone: dwelling and asylum (caves),
weapons and instruments (rock and mineral), the ultimate
beverage (water) - worshipping rocks, caves and springs
This tradition has been translated through the next
prehistoric societies to the Antiquity.
Next come the metallurgical abilities, and the necessity of
expanded geological and mining knowledge:
the CHALCOLITHIC (Copper Age), the BRONZE Age,
the IRON AGE – worshipping fire and the divine blacksmith
Thracians: the rock people
Cultural and historic heritage:
Thracians – the rock people
Cultural and historic heritage:
Bulgarian builders
Southeast Europe and Asia Minor have the privileged
position of a bridge between Europe and Asia. This
special position has its roots in the geological
evolution and structure, and has played an important
part in the evolution, migration and dissemination of
floral and faunal taxa, in the migration and evolution
of the first humans, and of many human tribes.
Thus, our region became a focus of civilizations that
flourished since the eve of humanity. Each tribe and
civilization has left its impact on the present
population and its ethnic and socio-cultural tradition.
Basic and applied knowledge about the rocks and
the geologic processes has been always an
important element of human science and culture.
The very existence of every human individual and
of the species Homo sapiens has been always
dependent on knowledge about Nature, the
utilization of natural products (and on a later stage,
their processing and preparation of new products)
and avoiding and/or minimizing the natural hazards.
Other aspects of science – culture interrelations:
GEOARCHAEOLOGY
ARCHAEOMINERALOGY
ARCHAEOGEOPHYSICS
ARCHAEOASTRONOMY
GEOMYTHOLOGY
GEOLOGY and ARCHITECTURE:
- insertion of the constructions into the
landscape and the geological environment
- use of the right rock for decoration
and/or restoration
The heritage of mankind should be
regarded as an indivisible whole: natural
heritage (geological heritage, mineral
diversity, biodiversity and the variety of
different environments) and archaeological,
art and folklore heritage are only different
facets of the cultural heritage.
Geological heritage and tourism:
- Geoheritage as a subject of cultural tourism
- Students exchange and tourism: there are no two
identical outcrops,
and “between two geologists better is the one who
has seen more outcrops” (H.H. Reed)
- International congresses and symposia
Necessity of wider outreach:
Popular books and booklets
TV programs
Geological guidebooks
Geoparks
Geoheritage as a subject of cultural tourism - towards a
complex presentation of the geological heritage and
geodiversity, the biodiversity, and the cultural s.s. heritage
Some practical issues:
* raise the interest of local authorities
* raise the interest of local people - outreach;
potential hotel-keepers and investors
* improve infrastructure - avoid overconstruction
* improve quality of services
* emphacize on diversity of natural and cultural s.s.
monuments
* establish relations between local authorities, local
people, tourist companies and scientists towards successful outreach and publicity
TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE TOURISM –
FOR CONSERVATION OF NATURE
CONCLUSIONS
It is our duty to preserve the natural and cultural heritage in
their entity and primeval harmony.
The Earth sciences possess a vast potential for enlargement
and diversification of research in interdisciplinary domains for the
benefit of culture and civilization.
The most important geoheritage elements as geosites,
geotrails, geoparks and geological museum collections when
properly exhibited may play an important role in the education
of modern societies in the principles of sustainability and nature
conservation. In close links with archaeological, historic and
architectural sites, the geological heritage could be successfully
shown up and incorporated in the cultural tourist programs, and
become a source of pride and income for the local communities.
Tourism bears some dangers for the preservation of the
geoheritage and the cultural heritage – hence, we should try to
avoid them.
THANK YOU!