Intangible Cultural Heritage

Rodney Stott brings James, a Lanner Falcon, to his hand during a training session at a bird sanctuary in Laurel, Maryland on June 14, 2012. Falconry was named a 'living human heritage' by UNESCO in 2012. (KAREN BLEIER/AFP/Getty Images)

UNESCO, the branch of the United Nations charged with promoting international collaboration in science, education and culture, has spent years protecting various historical and natural sites as part of its mission. To date, the organization has given 981 designations to sites around the world, from the Great Pyramids in Egypt to Mount Etna in Italy, these physical monuments are reminders of what humankind and nature has achieved on our planet.

But 10 years ago, UNESCO decided to expand its reach with a new kind of designation to intangible cultural heritage, which includes performing arts, social practices, rituals, knowledge, oral traditions and traditional crafts. Though they are much harder to define -- intangible is part of the name, after all -- these cultural relics are just as important as more visible human monuments.

"Culture is really an asset, a driver for development," said Cecile Duvelle, the chief of the intangible heritage section of UNESCO.

"In my opinion you cannot undertake a development problem if you ignore the cultural context in which you're operating. You want to construct a road, you think it's the most direct route between two cities, but you don't realize it's going through a sacred forest and no one will use it. It's not helping," Duvelle said.

Another advantage of the intangible heritage designation is that it doesn't rely on the expertise of professional archaeologists and scientists. Instead, communities define their own valued cultural practices, and if these practices are threatened by industrialization, environmental degradation or other conflicts, UNESCO will help in safeguarding the traditions.

A small part of the process is compiling a list of intangible cultural heritages, though Duvelle said the list is far from exhaustive.

"We don't try to make a list of the best, it's just to raise awareness on something that was for ignored for so many decades," Duvelle said. "The absence of consideration of culture is quite tragic. Even with goodwill, we can do something that may be felt as harm instead of good."

To see a small sample of the kinds of traditional practices protected by UNESCO, click through the following pages. The full list of protected intangible cultural heritage practices can be found here.

NEXT: An ancient healthy diet

The Mediterranean Diet

A meal of fried sardines with tehina sauce, fresh pita, a cucumber and tomato salad, olives and pickles is served in a restaurant in the local produce market Feb. 22, 2006 in Netanya in central Israel. (David Silverman/Getty Images)

Though it may be well known in the United States as a fad diet that allows you to lose weight without starving yourself, the UNESCO definition comprises traditions that cover everything from harvesting crops, fishing, conserving, preparing and consuming specific kinds of food, and the social interactions that go along with this food culture."The system is rooted in respect for the territory and biodiversity, and ensures the conservation and development of traditional activities and crafts linked to fishing and farming," says the UNESCO website.

The diet itself includes a large amount of fresh fruits and vegetables, limited red meat, eating multi grains and nuts and drinking red wine in moderation. Eating these foods in moderation and engaging in regular physical activity has been proven to reducethe risk of heart disease, cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, reported the Mayo Clinic. And it's not just modern people who have noticed the value of the eating habits of the citizens of countries surrounding the Mediterranean Sea. According to the American Society for Clinical Nutrition, the specific foods of the Mediterranean diet have been recommended since the Renaissance, although it was much harder to transport food outside the region.

NEXT: Drawings to communicate with thousands of people

Sand Drawings of Vanuatu

Vanuatu sand drawing is a multifunctional 'writing' that allows for communication among members of 80 different language groups; helps with the transmission of rituals and local history; and is considered a form of art. (UNESCO/Vanuatu National Cultural Council)

The sand drawings of Vanuatu are transient, disappearing almost as soon as they've been laid down, but their limited lifespan doesn't detract from their importance. The people living on the islands of the Vanuatu archipelago have used sand drawings for generations as a form of communication. This shared method of communication is a necessity for those who travel between towns and islands, since Vanuatu is the most linguistically diverse country in the world, reported ABC, with the 250,000 people who live there speaking around 130 different languages. The sand drawings, which are made by using a finger to create intricate geometric patterns, are used to communicate messages or pass on knowledge.

"The drawings function as mnemonic devices to record and transmit rituals, mythological lore and a wealth of oral information about local histories, cosmologies, kinship systems, song cycles, farming techniques, architectural and craft design, and choreographic patterns," writes UNESCO. With so many messages comprised in such a compact form, it's no surprise Vanuatu has worked to safeguard the tradition.

NEXT: Protecting the forest and its people

Knowledge of Yurupari Jaguar Shamans

The jaguar shamans of Colombia follow a calendar of ceremonial rituals, based upon their sacred traditional knowledge, to draw the community together, heal, prevent sickness and revitalize nature. (Sergio Bartelsman/ACAIPI/Fundacion Gaia Amazonas/UNESCO)

While the Western world relies on new technology and grassroots movements to undo the environmental pollution that's starting to take its toll on our world, other societies have developed cultural systems that dictate the interactions between humans and nature. One such system is the traditional knowledge of the jaguar shamans of the Yurupari, which is shared among many ethnic groups living along the Pira Parana River in Colombia. According to Babel Travel Correspondent Services, the jaguar shamans conduct rituals and songs and dances to heal, prevent disease and revitalize nature.

Yurupari mythology explains that the source of all energy is from an anaconda who lived as a person, and the knowledge for maintaining a healthy people and territory are transmitted to boys entering adulthood, says UNESCO. Although UNESCO has recognized the value of this traditional knowledge, there are a number of challenges in protecting the jaguar shaman traditions, mainly because mining companies are hoping to mine gold in sacred sites, reported the Swift Foundation.

NEXT: A festival combining Christianity and indigenous tradition

Carnavalde Oruro

This Bolivian festival is the largest annual event in the country, drawing around 400,000 people to the city of Oruro on the Saturday before Ash Wednesday. Practiced for more than 2,000 years, the festival originally celebrated indigenous Andean deities. When Spaniards arrived in the 17th century, the festival was officially banned, but Bolivian people hid the indigenous rituals beneath Christian saints, allowing the carnival to continue, says UNESCO.

Today, the carnival lasts for 10 days, with the main event being the parade that features more than 20,000 dancers and 10,000 musicians, according to the Lonely Planet. With so many people marching, the parade can last for up to 20 hours, and is followed by plenty of other events, including a water-bomb fight at the end of the carnival.

NEXT: Giants and dragons in parades

Processional Giants and Dragons

Giants and dragons in Belgium and France are huge effigies that first appeared in religious processions at the end of the 14th century. They can represent mythical animals, heroes, contemporary characters, and biblical persons. (UNESCO/Maison des Geants/J.P. Ducastelle)

First appearing in the14th century in religious processions, the huge effigies of dragons, giants and animals have continued to be a popular part of festivals in France and Belgium. According to UNESCO, the performances combine secular and religious ceremonies and always include a procession with the particular giants that relate to the history of the town.

One town in Belgium called Ath celebrates the marriage of the giant Goliath and his wife with huge figures that can be more than 20 feet tall and are made of wicker and cloth, reported USA Today. Along with the procession of giants comes other activities, like musket shooting, drinking, eating and dancing, with plenty of regional specialties available (like frites, beer and the local cake called Masteilles).

NEXT: One of the oldest forms of opera

KunquOpera

Two male opera performers, acting in female roles, pose on the runway during the Rosestudio Guo Pei Kun Opera Fashion Show, April 26, 2010 in Beijing, China. Kun opera was listed as one of the Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 2001. (Feng Li/Getty Images)

Dating back to the 16th century, when singers performed before the Imperial court, Kunqu is the a predecessor to many more modern forms of Chinese opera. The opera traditionally features a male and female lead and an old man to perform comic roles, and the singers are accompanied by a small drum, gongs, cymbals, and a bamboo flute, says UNESCO. But despite lasting for centuries, Kunqu began to experience a decline in recent decades, so the Chinese government has sent troupes to perform at universities and in different locations, reported the BBC. Some performers have also attempted to adapt the operas for a modern audience, reported CNN.

NEXT: A human relationship with the wild

Falconry

A Kyrgyz man in traditional clothing holds a hunting bird on his arm, 250km from Bishkek in Bokonbayevo on Oct. 30, 2009 during the annual Salburun traditonal hunting festival on the shores of lake Issyk-Kul. (VYACHESLAV OSELEDKO/AFP/Getty Images)

Although the exact origin of falconry is unknown, the practice of training birds of prey to take down quarry is one of the oldest bonds between humans and wild animals. The sport, which requires long hours of training and devotion, continues to be practiced today in countries around the world. UNESCO identifies a number of countries across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia that have traditions of falconry, including Austria, the United Arab Emirates, Korea, Mongolia, Morocco, Spain and France.

The practice of falconry was especially widespread before the advent of guns, such as with a caste system in Europe that dictated which species of raptors could be trained by which individuals, says falconry website Gyrs. In addition to using falcons for hunting, those who practice falconry have created a broader cultural heritage surrounding the practice, such as traditional clothing, food, music and dance, says UNESCO.

NEXT: Shadow puppet shows

Wayang Puppet Theater

Believed to be the oldest freestanding puppet forms, the shadow puppets of wayang theater in Indonesia date back to the 800s and have been used in performances ever since. Wayang puppets can be three-dimensional creations made of wood and fabric, or they can be flat leather puppets whose shadows are projected on a screen, says UNESCO. The puppeteers who control the wayang figures were considered vital literary experts who could pass on myths, histories, morals and aesthetic values.

Although some modern wayang performers are known throughout Indonesia, making appearances on TV and the radio, the art itself has declined in recent years, leading to UNESCO designation as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. It is through these performances that Indonesia's complicated history and various religious traditions continue to be transmitted, writes the Asian Art Museum.

NEXT: Master woodcrafters

Woodcrafting Knowledge of the Zafimaniry

The Zafimaniry of Madagascar use 20 endemic species of tree and nearly all wooden surfaces display intricate ornamentation. Their community is the sole remaining repository of woodcraft culture that was once widespread. (UNESCO/Direction du Patrimoine Culturel, Ministere de la Culture de Madagascar)

The Zafimaniry people of Madagascar have spent centuries combining the unique knowledge of foresters, carpenters and woodcrafters to create beautiful works of art and architecture. Today they are the only remaining people of a once widespread culture dedicated to preserving specific knowledge of woodcrafting.

According to Mongabay, conditions are difficult even now because of the continued deforestation and slash-and-burn cultivation that ravage the surrounding countryside. Although the 25,000 remaining Zafimaniry continue to use the same techniques to build houses and furniture -- all without nails or any metal implements -- they have already had to leave their homeland once before, in the 18th century, because of deforestation, says UNESCO.

NEXT: Drums and dancing as healing

Vimbuza Healing

Vimbuza is a healing dance popular among the Tumbuka people living in northern Malawi. It is an important manifestation of the ng’oma, a healing tradition found throughout Bantu-speaking Africa. (UNESCO/Francois-Xavier Freland)

While the ng'oma healing tradition is practiced throughout Bantu-speaking Africa, the Vimbuza healing ritual is particular to the Tumbuka people of northern Malawi. According to the Malawi Embassy website, the dance is used to supplement other healing practices and help people -- mainly women -- suffering from psychological diseases. The practice involves male drummers playing rhythms, while the patient "dances the disease," writes UNESCO. The tradition goes back to the 19th century, when it was developed as a way to overcome the traumatic experiences of colonial oppression, says UNESCO.

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