Two US Sites Vying For UNESCO World Heritage Places - But Which Ones?
It may have slipped most headlines, but UNESCO Director-General Koichrio Matsuura met senior US officials, led by Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, on June 25 in Washington DC to discuss future cooperation between the two powerhouses. Yet amongst the usual goodwill promises, plans and incentives, the US also proposed two more as-yet unconfirmed heritage sites to nominate for the 'tentative' (or preliminary in normal speak) UNESCO World Heritage Site List. The list is the Billboard Chart of the cultural world, with no major landmark worth its salt missing out on a place. In fact just last month another five ancient places were added to the list. No fewer than 20 US sites have made the list proper so far, including the enigmatic ancient town of Mesa Verde and the Everglades National Park. Sites on the tentative list include the San Antonio Franciscan Missions and Poverty Point archaeological park. So what are these new mysterious submissions?
I'll put my modest reputation on the line, and offer three famous stateside spots which may be on the UNESCO agenda. In the meantime, feel free to offer up your own suggestions:
The Washington Monument, Washington DC.
The tallest building in the US capital city is also the third-tallest obelisk in the world (behind the Juche Tower in Pyongyang and San Jacinto Monument in Texas). It dwarfs Cleopatra's Needle in London, outstripping its 21m by almost 150m. It was even the world's tallest structure from 1884-9, when it was beaten by the Eiffel Tower. But it's not the figures that matter: in a city which houses the most powerful man in the world, at the heart of the most powerful nation that has ever existed, the Washington Monument stands tall as the area's shining symbol, rising above its parkland surroundings simply and majestically.
Meteor Crater, Arizona.
If a 50,000-year-old interstellar scar isn't world heritage I don't know what is
Formerly known as Canyon Diablo Crater, the Meteor Crater lies in the north of the Arizona desert, and sits proudly as Earth's most spectacular interstellar scar tissue. 3862m in circumference, and 170m deep, the crater was allegedly caused by a meteor no larger than 50m across - around 50,000 years ago. It's still in private hands, and contains a disused mine at its centre - but if it ain't world heritage, I don't know what is.
Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Keystone, South Dakota.
If, like me, the first image Mount Rushmore conjures is a desperate Cary Grant flailing at its summit, you'll agree the monument deserves to get in on Hitchcock's genius alone. Started in 1927 and completed 1941, the giant carving was the brainchild of Danish-American Gutzon Borglum. Representing 150 years of great American presidents, its includes the heads of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln (and whoever hilariously photographs themselves besides). Another icon of the US, it may be slightly young to deserve a place on UNESCO's list - but in a country whose recent history barely spans 400 years, it must be worth a billing on status.
Agree with my choices? Think there are any others worth mentioning? Comment below and have your say on this mini-mystery.
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Springfield! To us 'dumb' Europeans, that really does stand symbol for the American culture. I also suggest every single episode goes into the UNESCO documents program, that archives more recent and even digital 'heritage'.
The San Jacinto monument, though not exactly an ancient site at just 70 years old, does stand as the world's largest obelisk and seems to represent Texas in all it's self-aggrandising glory. It also bears more than a little significance, humorously, to the Stalinist monuments of Moscow with its lone star standing pround atop the column. The fact it was completed in 1939, during some of the most tense stand-offs between the Soviet and American ideals, makes the communist look even more startling. Still, it's a great building and worthy of recognition. By UNESCO on the World Heritage list, however? Hmm.
The crater is still owned and run by the Barringer family. An entry fee is payable. Visitors may not enter the crater itself.
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