Cultural Landscapes Inventories. Theories, Methods and Techniques

Academic and administrative interest in cultural landscapes has increased in recent decades due to globalization (and the consequent loss of distinctiveness of different territories) and accelerated process of environmental change. As occurred earlier with tangible and intangible heritage items, this has given rise to inventories of cultural landscapes as a first step towards understanding, recognizing and preserving them in the face potential threats that endanger their cultural and natural values. The various theories, methods and techniques which guide the construction of these inventories can be identified in the answers given to the following questions: What is to be inventoried? For what purpose and for whom is the inventory to be produced? Who will direct its production? How will the work be realized? What information is necessary? How will this information be generated and managed? We use a bibliographic analysis to compare the principal criteria, methods and techniques used in the development of a set cultural landscape inventories from Europe and North America, and others of world-wide reach. We conclude that, even though cultural landscapes are an increasingly established category in the theory and practice of heritage research and management, the definition of commonly accepted criteria for its recording and documentation remains necessary.