Norwegian Historic Sites and Remains in Antarctica: priorities and management options

Abstract

Relatively few people have visited the Antarctic continent since it was discovered in 1820, and there are very few visible signs of the earliest human activity. Norwegians were among the earliest people carrying out activities in Antarctica, and among the few historical sites and remains here, we therefore find several with obvious connections to Norway and Norwegian activities. Stortingsmelding 16 (2004–2005) Leve med kulturminner (“White Paper”) emphasizes that Norwegian historic heritage policies for the Antarctic shall make sure that important historic sites and remains related to Norwegian activities in Antarctica shall be preserved. Furthermore, it is stressed that an active Norwegian participation in the international cooperation to maintain such remains will strengthen Norway’s position in the international Antarctic cooperation. To follow up these objectives, the White Paper gives instructions to prepare a list of Norwegian historic sites and remains that may be of interest for an international preservation cooperation, and a professionally justified shortlist of prioritized remains and sites shall be prepared, that shows where it is applicable to implement measures of conservation. In 2015 the Norwegian Government, through the White Paper Stortingsmelding 32 (2014–2015) Norske interesser og politikk i Antarktis, repeated the intention that “Norwegian safety and conservation measures are to be carried out according to a prioritized list, in line with the political intentions given in St.meld. nr. 16 (2004–2005) Leve med kulturminner”. Based on these guidelines the Ministry of Climate and Environment asked the Norwegian Polar Institute and the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage jointly – in dialogue with the Ministry – to start the process of preparing a list of Norwegian historic sites and remains in Antarctica, and to give an assessment of possible measures attached to these. This document presents the result of the process. The treaty cooperation defines the International Geophysical Year (IGY), which took place in 1957/58, as an end point for assessing an object or a locality’s conservation value (Resolution 5 (2001)). This list over prioritized Norwegian historic sites and remains is based on the same definition, hence it limits the assessment to pre-1958 sites and remains.