First published: Sun 27 Oct 2024.
Els Slots
Best Recent Whs
Comments
10 comments
Svein Elias
8 months, 1 week ago (Oct 27, 2024)
Some new sites have old unesco-id, like “Melka Kunture and Balchit”. They tried to get it inscribed in the early years but were refused until now. Do you see them any different than other sites lately inscribed?
Reply
Solivagant
8 months, 1 week ago (Oct 27, 2024)
Re "Early Inscriptions"...Els's statistics regarding the number of exceptional sites in the first 20 odd years of the scheme compared with the second can hide the fact that a fair number of the early ones were (IMO) ALSO of rather "poor quality". Particularly in the very early years. Rather than dividing the c75 years into 2 periods it might be better to look at it in total across 4 periods.
In short I would expect the most recent one to demonstrate a fair bit of "scraping the barrel" with duplications and novel (if doubtful) OUVs. That also reflects the growing politicisation of the schem and a move away from "objective" assessment by an independent body as the WHS overreuls its advisors! Whilst the first would be similar but would also contain a few of the really "high quality" sites which one would have expected to be brought forward early. The middle 2 would show the most "top sites" as, by then, most developed countries had got involved and got their act together in terms of protection, preparing nominations etc. Of course we all "mark" sites differently
As a recent post I made on Bulgaria showed, remarkably few countries were involved in the first 10 years of the scheme and they used their position to get in "mediocre" sites way ahead of real "outstanding" ones.
As for Malke Kunture - it was one of a number of early failures from Ethiopia among a number of successes (though ones like Awash and Omo would not have got in later as presented - not because they were "unworthy" but because they were not prorperly documented or managed!). Several of those are now in Eritrea (Matara and Adulis) and are not on its T List. We visted Melka Kunture in 2008 and I would not place it that highly either as an "early man visit" or in terms of its significance in those terms --- I gave it 1.5 ("just about creeps in"!!)
Els Slots
8 months, 1 week ago (Oct 27, 2024)
I don't think you can really say that, Svein Elias. I have added the ID's and the years to https://www.worldheritagesite.org/ranking/community -> maybe Babylon is an example, but there are also plenty of poor ones with low numbers that got in in the end (As-Salt, and Melka Kunture indeed)
Els Slots
8 months, 1 week ago (Oct 27, 2024)
I do recognize the overall trend you described, Solivagant.
But only looking at the "best" sites, the best ones really got in early:
The first 10 years resulted in 55 of the Top 100 best-rated.
The 2nd 10 years had 21, the 3rd 10 years had 9, the 4th 10 years had 12.
Solivagant
8 months, 1 week ago (Oct 27, 2024)
and how are the "low" markings distributed across the 4 periods?
Solivagant
8 months, 1 week ago (Oct 27, 2024)
actually I have just had a look at the Rankings list sorted by year and am "shocked" by just how high the ratings are - very very few below 3. Not a "normal" distribution at all!!
Nan
8 months, 1 week ago (Oct 27, 2024)
I dont think it makes sense to assume a normal distribution for ratings as everyone uses a different scale. Mine is 2.5 = deserving of WHS status.
The downward trend, at least for countries with long existing lists, seems rather natural. The obvious WHS that offer a good visiting experience have been inscribed in the past. I would assume the hidden gems would be countries that have not been active in the past.
Meltwaterfalls
8 months, 1 week ago (Oct 30, 2024)
Flipping it a little, and grouping the sites by score rather than year, then looking for the “average” year in those ranking bounds gives a pretty clear result.
The higher scoring sites are older, and every half point score difference increases the median year of inscription for sites in that category.
On average sites become 5 years younger for each 0.5 decrease in score, this holds true for both Mean and Median Averages
Score Band Median Year of inscription
4.5+ 1985
4 - 4.5 1988
3.5 - 4 1996
3 - 3.5 1998
2.5 - 3 2004
2 - 2.5 2010
under 2 2015
3 or fewer votes 2009
Total 1999
* for ease of comprehension I have shortened the bound title, the upper limit is actually .x999... so there is no double counting
Also there is a pretty clear normal distribution in scores just that the mid point is skewed slightly higher to 3-3.5
Score Band Count of sites
4.5+ 28
4 - 4.5 128
3.5 - 4 262
3 - 3.5 349
2.5 - 3 273
2 - 2.5 101
under 2 31
3 or fewer votes 51
Total 1223