INTERGEO – DIGITAL PLATFORM ON GEOMORPHOSITES -1-

Geomorphosites+and+Heritage+Studies+
Emmanuel(Reynard,(University(of(Lausanne(
(
Heritage( is( formed( of( elements( of( the( culture( (material+ heritage:( historical( buildings,(
religious(and(military(buildings,(architectural(elements,(various(objects(specific(to(a(culture,(
etc.;(and(immaterial+heritage:(traditions,(legends,(social(organisations,(etc.)(and(the(nature(
of(an(area.(As(part(of(nature,(some(geological(and(geomorphological(sites(can(be(considered(
as( part( of( the( natural( heritage( of( an( area( (region,( country).( They( form( the( soDcalled(
geoheritage,( which( is( divided( in( in5situ+ geoheritage( (i.e.( geoheritage( that( is( observable( in(
the(field)(and(ex5situ+geoheritage((that(concerns(geological(objects(that(have(been(removed(
from(their(original(position(and(transported,(for(example,(in(museums).((
(
The(recognition(of(geoheritage(or(geomorphosites(by(the(society(is(the(result(of(a(complex(
process( of( “heritage+ making”( (patrimonialisation( in( French)( (Martin( 2012;( Fig.( 1),( with(
several( stages:( a)( first( recognition( (often( by( one( specific( group( of( actors);( b)( selection,(
inventories( (to( select( which( part( of( the( territory( should( be( considered( as( heritage,( and(
therefore(protected;(c)(protection(and(valorisation.(Several(groups(of(actors((scientists,(land(
managers,(conservationists,(tourism(sector,(etc.)(may(be(implicated(in(this(process.(((
(

(
+
Fig.+1+The+process+of+“heritage+making”+in+geosites+(modified+following+Martin,+2013).+
(
This( process( is( often( non+ linear.( Some( sites( can( be( recognised( worth( of( protection( at( a(
certain(time,(and(then(considered(as(less(important,(and(even(as(not(important(at(all,(before(
being( reDdiscovered( several( decades( after.( These( are( the( soDcalled( heritage+ trajectories+
described(for(example(by(Portal((2010)(or(by(Reynard(et(al.((2011).((
(
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That(was(the(case(for(example(of(the(erratic+blocks(in(Switzerland((Reynard,(2004;(Reynard(
et( al.,( 2011).( They( were( at( the( centre( of( an( intense( scientific( controversy( during( the( first(
decades( of( the( 19th( century( until( their( glacial( origin( was( established( in( the( late( 1830s.(
Paradoxically,( it( was( at( the( same( time( that( they( began( to( be( threatened( by( intense(
exploitation(for(dimension(stone(production(due(to(rapid(urban(extension(in(Switzerland(at(
that( time( (Reynard,( 2004).( This( provoked( a( reaction( of( the( scientific( community,( whose(
important(figures(wrote(a(call(to(the(Swiss(citizens(to(engage(them(to(inventory(and(to(put(
under( protection( the( most( important( blocks( of( the( country( (Appel+ aux+ Suisses+ pour+ les+
engager+ à+ conserver+ les+ blocs+ erratiques+ [Call( to( the( Swiss( to( Join( in( the( Conservation( of(
Erratic(Blocks],+written(by(the(geologists(A.(Favre(and(B.(Studer(in(1867).(This(initiative(had(a(
great( success( and( resulted( in( the( inventory( of( dozens( of( blocks( all( around( the( country( by(
various(groups(of(actors((schools,(natural(scientists,(etc.),(the(publication(of(maps(of(erratic(
blocks,( and( eventually( the( protection( of( some( of( them.( Numerous( blocks( were,( therefore,(
put( under( protection( by( the( local( and( regional( authorities,( or( given( to( nonDgovernmental(
societies( (Swiss( Alpine( Club,( Helvetic( Natural( Science( Society,( regional( Natural( Sciences(
societies).( These( initiatives( culminated( with( the( protection( of( the( famous( Pierre+ des+
Marmettes+in(Monthey,(which(is(the(largest(erratic(block(of(the(country,(and(which(was(to(
be( sold( to( a( private( company( for( dimension( stone( extraction( in( 1905.( The( block( was(
eventually( bought( to( the( extraction( company( by( the( public( authorities( (Confederation,(
Canton(of(Valais(and(municipality(of(Monthey)(and(by(a(public(subscription.(During(the(20th(
century,( the( public( interest( for( the( erratic( boulders( decreased( and( it( is( only( in( the( last(
decade( that( a( renewed( interest( for( erratic( blocks( emerged,( first( in( the( scientific( circles( –(
because( crystalline( boulders( are( now( used( for( surface( exposure( dating( (cosmogenic(
radionuclide(dating)(–,(and(more(in(general(in(the(public.(The(heritage(trajectory(of(erratic(
blocks(in(Switzerland(is(described(in(Fig.(2.((
(
(

(
(
Fig.+2+Example+of+heritage+trajectory:+the+erratic+blocks+in+Switzerland.++
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References+
(
Favre( A.,( Studer( B.( (1867).( Appel% aux% Suisses% pour% les% engager% à% conserver% les% blocs%
erratiques.(Rheinfelden:!Actes&de&la&Société&helvétique&des&sciences&naturelles.(
Martin(S.((2013).(Valoriser+le+géopatrimoine,par,la,médiation,indirecte,et,la,visualisation,des,
objets' géomorphologiques.( Ph.D( Thesis,( University( of( Lausanne,( 288( p.(
http://www.unil.ch/igul/home/menuinst/lesDpublications/geovisions/geovisionsD
41.html((
Portal'C.'(2010).'Reliefs'et'patrimoine'géomorphologique.'Applications'aux'parcs'naturels'de'
la# façade# atlantique# européenne.# PhD# Thesis,# University# of# Nantes,# 436# p.(
https://halshs.archivesDouvertes.fr/telD00537350/((
Reynard(E.((2004).(Protecting(Stones:(conservation(of(erratic(blocks(in(Switzerland.(In:(Prikryl(
R.( (ed.)( Dimension+ Stone+ 2004.+ New+ perspectives+ for+ a+ traditional+ building+ material,(
Leiden,(Balkema,(3D7.(
Reynard( E.,( Hobléa( F.,( Cayla( N.,( Gauchon( C.( (2011).( Les( hauts( lieux( géologiques( et(
géomorphologiques( alpins,( Revue+ de+ géographie+ alpine,( 99(2).(
[http://rga.revues.org/1412;( DOI:( 10.4000/rga.1412]( Note:( an( English( version( is( also(
available:( Iconic( Site( for( Alpine( Geology( and( Geomorphology(
[http://rga.revues.org/1435;(DOI:(10.4000/rga.1435].((
(