Even goats in trees made it onto the list of intangible cultural treasures
However, as BBC notes, while the Jamaican musical tradition is clear – after all, this musical style, thanks to stars like Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff, has long become mainstream – other cultural pearls on the list may cause genuine surprise.
Catalan castells – "human towers"
Pyramids involving living people are a traditional attribute of holidays and festivals in the Spanish region of Catalonia. Entire teams compete in the speed of construction and the height of the structure. "Human towers" can reach the height of a 10-story building, and absolutely everyone participates – men, women, and children. The first mentions of castells are found in documents from the 18th century, but this pastime may be much older.
Hurling – the sport of the Celts
Hurling is 4,000 years old. Today it is preserved mainly in Ireland and was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2018. It is something between football, hockey, and rugby. Hurling uses wooden sticks, a ball, and goals. The ball can be hit with sticks, kicked, or caught by hand. A good hit can send the ball flying at 150 km per hour.
Turkish "bird language"
Residents of villages on the Black Sea coast in northern Turkey use an elaborate system of whistling to communicate over long distances. Unsurprisingly, in the age of mobile phones, such a means of communication is under threat of extinction. It was added to the UNESCO list in 2017.
Neapolitan pizza
This does not refer to the dish called pizza itself – it is about the culinary tradition of its preparation, closely tied to the Italian city of Naples. According to UNESCO, over 3,000 pizzaioli – pizza-making masters – live and work in Naples. They pass on their culinary secrets using the same method as in the Middle Ages: apprentices observe how the maestros work.
Tribal governance system
The Oromo people – an ethnic group in Ethiopia – still preserve a governance system created by their ancestors called Gadaa. This system implies that the position of elder is rotational. The person currently vested with authority regulates the political, economic, social, and religious life of the community.
Goats climbing trees and argan seeds
Argan oil is highly valued by health enthusiasts and especially by women who want to add shine and silkiness to their hair. This oil is extracted from the fruit of the argan tree, which grows in Morocco. Particularly prized are seeds that have undergone "processing" by goats. The animals easily climb onto tree branches and eat the fruit. Then, of course, the argan fruits and seeds pass through the digestive tract and exit. This cleaning of seeds from pulp simplifies human work, and connoisseurs claim that after passing through a goat's stomach, the seeds acquire additional beneficial qualities. The entire production process of argan oil, including the goat stage, was added to the UNESCO heritage list in 2014.
Suri Jagek (sun observation)
Suri Jagek is a meteorological and astronomical practice based on observing the position of the Sun, Moon, and stars relative to local topography. This tradition is characteristic of the Kalash – a small indigenous Pakistani people who practice paganism. By comparing the positions of celestial bodies, the Kalash determine the time for harvest, religious festivals, and other significant calendar events.
Korean haenyeo divers
On Jeju Island in South Korea, there is a long-standing community of female divers called haenyeo. The women dive to depths of 10-20 meters without any special equipment and stay underwater for 2-3 minutes, collecting seafood. Some divers continue diving into their 80s.
Chinese abacus
Although the origin of the abacus itself is still debated, no one questions the fact that the Chinese have achieved perfection in using this ancient arithmetic tool. Thanks to the zhúsuan method, such abacuses can be used not only for simple arithmetic operations like addition or subtraction but also for more complex mathematical calculations. One only needs to know easy-to-remember oral formulas passed down from generation to generation. The zhúsuan method is still studied and used in China.