Decision 39 COM 8B.22

Viking Age Sites in Northern Europe, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Latvia and Norway

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Documents WHC-15/39.COM/8B and WHC-15/39.COM/INF.8B1,
2. Defers the examination of the nomination of the Viking Age Sites in Northern Europe, Denmark, Germany, Iceland, Latvia and Norway, to the World Heritage List in order to allow the States Parties to:
   1. Explore further the full scope, scale and nature of Viking Age sea and river migration and trade routes, and the settlements that these routes engendered through:
      1. Definition of the main parameters of time, space and cultural terms related to the migrations;
      2. Mapping of the major migration and trade routes and of the surviving evidence for Viking trade settlements along these routes;
      3. Selection of the routes where significant remains survive which illuminate migration and trade and the key facets of influence and cultural exchange;
   2. Define a nomination strategy, that might include one or more series, which could allow key aspects of the Viking Age migrations to be reflected on the World Heritage List, and allow future nominations to be accommodated;
   3. On the basis of this further work, submit a new serial nomination;
3. Considers that any revised nomination would need to be considered by an expert mission to the sites;
4. Recommends that the States Parties consider inviting ICOMOS to offer advice and guidance in the framework of the Upstream Process.