its tangible and intangible aspects (Karakul, 2018; Brizard, Derde & Sil-berman, 2007, 5). New technologies can play a significant role in the iden-tification, documentation, preservation, promotion, and education of tra-ditional craftsmanship with its different aspects holistically. The recent developments in documentation technology, especially digital technolo-gy, facilitate the accuracy of documentation and contribute to the achieve-ment of holistic conservation. Furthermore, digital technology also facil-itates understanding and training process of traditional craftsmanship both for the general public and apprentices of traditional craftsmanship.
This study discusses the significance of the use of new technologies in the holistic documentation and conservation of traditional craftsmanship ac-cepted as a domain of intangible cultural heritage, focusing particularly on building crafts.
International Documents on Conservation of Building Crafts and Traditional Craftsmanship
In the 2003 Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage adopted by UNESCO1 “Building crafts” or “traditional crafts-manship” concretized in traditional architecture is determined as one of the domains in which intangible cultural heritage is manifested The knowledge, skills and creativity of building masters concretized in tradi-tional architecture can also be accepted as intangible aspects of building crafts as a branch of traditional craftsmanship. Craft differentiates from other forms of intangible cultural heritage because its product is a tangi-ble one, like architectural ornaments.
The UNESCO 2003 Convention described the intangible cultural herit-age with all its dimensions and explained safeguarding measures, such as, “the identification, documentation, research, preservation, protection, promotion, enhancement, transmission, particularly through formal and non-formal education, as well as the revitalization of the various aspects of such heritage.” As all other elements of intangible cultural heritage, the conservation of traditional craftsmanship also necessitates an accurate
1 The UNESCO 2003 Convention defines “intangible cultural heritage” as “the prac-tices, representations, expressions, knowledge, skills-as well as the instruments, objects, artifacts and cultural spaces associated therewith- that communities, groups and, in some cases, individuals recognize as part of their cultural heritage”;
and, emphasizes the domains of intangible cultural heritage as (a) oral traditions and expressions, including language as a vehicle of the intangible cultural heritage;
(b) performing arts; (c) social practices, rituals and festive events; (d) knowledge and practices concerning nature and the universe; (e) traditional craftsmanship”.
See the Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. 32nd Session of the General Conference. September 29-October 17. Paris. from http://
unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0013/001325/132540e.pdf)
documentation, the continuity of practice and its transmission between generations for its safeguarding.
In the 2003 Convention, UNESCO also established the Living Human Treasures System2 for safeguarding of traditional craftsmanship, organiz-ing craftsmen, and transmittorganiz-ing their knowledge to new generations. UN-ESCO determined that the 2003 Convention is mainly concerned with the skills and knowledge involved in craftsmanship rather than the craft prod-ucts themselves. Safeguarding was discussed only in terms of the activi-ties of craftsmen related to producing craft and passing their skills and knowledge onto others, not as preservation of craft objects3. Although the transmission process of crafts has been thoroughly analyzed by UNESCO Living Human Treasures System, the usability and adaptability of crafts to contemporary life and architecture have received much less attention.
Regrettably, the perception of the work of building masters as the practi-tioners of building crafts has been limited into the restoration practices.
Therefore, the scientific effort to define new practice areas other than res-toration for craftsmen to implement building crafts needs to be increased.
On the UNESCO’s official website, the decline in the numbers of the prac-titioners of traditional craftsmanship is recognized as one of the biggest threats to the viability of intangible cultural heritage. In this regard, Ar-ticle 2.3 of the UNESCO 2003 Convention emphasizes “transmission” as one of the safeguarding measures aiming at ensuring the viability of this heritage. Because the conservation of intangible cultural heritage neces-sitates the continuous practice and the transmission of the knowledge to future generations, living practitioners need to be identified and the ap-propriate ways for practicing need to be provided. Therefore, already be-fore the 2003 Convention, in 1993, UNESCO launched a new program in-troducing the concept of “Living Human Treasures”; and, afterwards, pre-pared a guide entitled Guidelines for the Establishment of National Living Human Treasures System (UNESCO 2002).
After drawing up the general guidelines of this system, UNESCO also en-courages Member States to establish their national systems of “Living Hu-man Treasures” and formulates the specific “guidelines for the establish-ment of national Living Human Treasures System”4 to be followed by the States. Within these guidelines, a preliminary measure for safeguarding the intangible cultural heritage is to ensure its identification by drawing up national inventories. But, after this identification stage, it is significant to guarantee that the bearers of heritage, like master craftsmen, develop their knowledge and skills and transmit them to younger generations. In
2 See http://www.unesco.org/culture/ich/index.php?pg=00061&lg=EN 3 See https://ich.unesco.org/en/traditional-craftsmanship-00057 4 See https://ich.unesco.org/doc/src/00031-EN.pdf
national contexts, these measures necessitate finding and organizing liv-ing builders, some of whom will be given official recognition, creatliv-ing ap-propriate conditions and institutions for practicing master-apprentice re-lationships, documenting their knowledge and integrating these practices and documentation into the conservation practices.
Within these guidelines, “transmission”, “documentation” and “promotion”
are highly emphasized as the measures for a sustainable safeguarding of traditional craftsmanship. Considering transmission, training as formal or informal education is significant to ensure that the knowledge and skills are transmitted from craftsmen to young people or apprentices. Accord-ing to the UNESCO 2003 Convention, Each State Party needs to establish a specific educational and training program within the communities as well as non-formal means of transmitting knowledge. The new technology needs to be used as a tool for training people and raising awareness about the different aspects of craftsmanship.
As regards “documentation”, the appropriate documentation of the knowl-edge and skills of craftsmen using available methods, like collection, cat-aloguing, transcription, is needed, as also stated in Article 13 in UNESCO 2013 Convention. Furthermore, the establishment of the inventories of in-stitutions, archives, documentation systems, and museums, and the train-ing of collectors, archivists, documentalists, and other specialists are rec-ommended within the guidelines. The new technology needs to be inte-grated into the documentation processes to achieve a holistic understand-ing of craftsmanship.
In relation to “promotion” it is recommended in the guidelines to ensure public awareness about the importance of intangible cultural heritage and its safeguarding by (1) regularly organizing performances, demonstrations, exhibitions; (2) enabling research and publishing of printed, audio, vid-eo and multi-media documents related to the intangible cultural herit-age and its bearers; and (3) integrating intangible cultural heritherit-age in-to educational curricula. Considering “promotion”, new technology needs to be used both in exhibitions and publishing of the documents related to craftsmanship.
Besides these conservation measures, “revitalization” is also highlighted within the UNESCO 2003 Convention. It is especially significant for the disappearing elements of intangible cultural heritage. For various reasons, e.g., rapid change and technology, certain elements of intangible heritage can change and disappear. Then, the revitalization of these disappearing practices with their genuine qualities of the relations of tangible and intan-gible values is needed for their conservation. New technology can contrib-ute to the revitalization of heritage elements by using multimedia integra-tion, digital museum and virtual representation technologies.
Considering the UNESCO documents, the most significant issues in the conservation of traditional building craftsmanship can be summarized as follows: (1) the holistic documentation approaches for traditional building