People and the Sea: A Values Perspective in the Conservation Management of Maritime Heritage in the Philippines

As demonstrated in archaeology, underwater cultural heritage (UCH) has provided significant contributions towards the understanding of heritage connections across the globe. However, the development of the discipline in the Philippines has also been hampered by confusing legalities, treasure hunting activities, and financial constraints that diminish the influence of its impact and potential reach. More so, the effects of natural hazards, climate change, and other human activities on UCH have not yet been fully documented, making it more susceptible to potential threats and destruction. The COVID-19 pandemic makes archaeological campaigns and monitoring even more difficult. These considerations make Philippine UCH vulnerable and raise questions whether its contribution will still be relevant for the present and future generations. This article provides a status update of underwater archaeological activities and synthesises the challenges of managing UCH in the Philippines in the past 40 years. It outlines the practices, partnerships, and transitions made by various stakeholders in response to the growing discipline and community interest. This article problematises the value ascription of these stakeholders to UCH as seen in conventional arrangements, development of policies, and bureaucratic set-ups. The applicability of the values-led theory and the people-centred management model is examined given the traditional valuing of UCH that is material or fabric-based. The gaps pointed here are opportunities to build a shared stewardship view that connects UCH in the entirety of people and the sea wellbeing.

Abundance and Species Composition of Cave Bats (Mammalia: Chiroptera) in Selected Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) of Central Visayas, Philippines

This study assessed the abundance and species richness of bats (Order Chiroptera) inhabiting caves in three KBAs (Key Biodiversity Areas) of Central Visayas: Mt. Bandilaan in Siquijor (13 caves), Mabinay, Negros Oriental (11 caves), and Rajah Sikatuna Protected Landscape(RSPL) in Bohol (31 caves). The study was conducted between February 14 to September 20, 2019. Of the 55 caves surveyed, 35 caves were inhabited by bats. Field survey methods included mist-netting at the cave entrances and direct observations of roosting sites in each cave. This study captured 754 individuals of bats belonging to 16 species, majority of which are insectivorous species (13 species) and only three species are fruitbats (Pteropodidae). Mabinay caves had the highest number of species (11) and captured bats (271 individuals) while RSPL had 9 species (221 individuals) while Mt. Bandilaan only had five species but relatively high captured bats (262 individuals). Five species are Philippine endemics (Hipposideros obscurus, Hipposideros pygmaeus, Ptenochirus jagori, Rhinolophus inops, and R. rufus) and three Near-threatened species (H. lekaguli, M. schreibersii, and R. rufus). The rare bat species (Dobsonia chapmani) may be locally extirpated in Mabinay, where it last documented at Mambajo cave in the 1960s. The survey also noted the absence of fruit bats (observed in 2011 study) in all of the caves in Mt. Bandilaan, probably due to on-going anthropogenic activities (treasure hunting, bat hunting, guano extraction, land conversion, locals illegal entry, graffiti, etc) in caves surveyed. Large colonies of fruitbats and insect bats in RSPL may have been affected by anthropogenic activities inside the caves. Most of the caves surveyed have been promoted for ecotourism activities.Keywords: cave; chiropteran; extraction; karst; limestone

ACTIVITIES OF «TREASURE-HUNTERS» IN THE REPUBLIC OF BASHKORTOSTAN (ACCORDING TO THE ANALYSIS OF INTERNET COMMUNITIES IN 2020)

The article describes the results of research on the activities of «treasure-hunters» in the Republic of Bashkortostan in 2020. The author of this article conducted an analysis of trial court decisions for 2017-2019, news publications, literature and reports of state authorities. As a result, it was found that the system of protection of archaeological sites in Russia is ineffective and cannot counteract «treasure-hunters». The information space almost does not contain analytical materials and scientific research works objectively reflecting treasure hunting activities. In most cases, archaeologists and state officials only record the consequences of unlawful search for «hidden treasures». In the author’s opinion, online communities are one of the most informative sources for studying the activities of treasure-hunters. The three most numerous regional groups of «treasure-hunters» with more than 1,000 subscribers were analyzed in the social network VK. The methods of netnography and the program products such as media-vk.ru and socstat.ru helped to reveal the statistically average portrait of community members, their cohesion and the quality of content. Content analysis made it possible to find out the most discussed topics, archaeological items and types of sites subject to regular looting and to assess the possibility of organizing either small or large groups of «treasure hunters» for joint search. According to the research carried out, the author concludes that there is an active propaganda for the treasure hunting activities in the social networks. The members of these groups discuss items obtained as a result of illegal search for «treasures», coordinate their efforts and hold conferences. The author thinks that effective counteractions against the treasure hunting activities necessitate the implementation of continuous monitoring and analysis of their online communities.

Finding love: The materialities of love-locks and geocaches

This article is the product of a collaboration between a folklorist researching the global phenomenon of love-locks (padlocks attached to public structures in declaration of romantic commitment) and an archaeologist who also happens to be a player of ‘Geocaching’ (a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices). A chance discussion between the two revealed significant overlaps between love-locking and geocaching, despite the two practices being divergent in function and intention. Some overlaps are tangible, with love-locks forming an integral component of a number of geocaches worldwide. Other overlaps are theoretical, with both practices resulting in contemporary assemblages, or ‘serial collaborative creations’, fundamentally driven by the relationships between objects, places and human participants. The question driving this article is: what can we learn about these two seemingly different customs by considering where they overlap?