Components and Characteristics of Agrarian Settlement Cultural Landscapes in UNESCO World Heritage†

This study aims to identify and categorize cases of traditional settlements, particularly agrarian villages, among the cultural landscapes inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, and to analyze their physical and intangible components in order to derive universal characteristics and to present their values and contemporary significance. For this purpose, 29 cases were selected and examined primarily on the basis of nomination files and ICOMOS evaluation reports provided by the World Heritage Centre. The analysis classified physical elements (such as agricultural land, buildings and structures, towns and villages, and natural features) and intangible elements (including traditional knowledge and skills, customs and traditions, religion and spirituality, community management systems, and artistic expressions). The results reveal that agricultural land and buildings/structures were consistently present across all cases, while traditional knowledge and skills, customs and traditions, management systems, and traditional arts and cultural expressions also appeared with high frequency. These findings demonstrate that agrarian-based traditional settlements are not merely production spaces but embody a complex value structure characterized by harmony between humans and nature, the integration of production, daily life, and belief systems, and the transmission of community culture. By clarifying these shared attributes and values, this study emphasizes the importance of integrated approaches to conserving heritage and cultural landscapes, while also offering a basis for strategies that take local distinctiveness into account. It also points to the need for future research that includes potential traditional village landscapes not yet inscribed as World Heritage, as well as more detailed field-based studies.