This guide is intended for students and researchers studying cultural heritage law at the University of Oxford, although students and researchers from any field may find it useful.
Use this guide to find out about sources and commentary for cultural heritage law, including ebooks, ejournals, and databases.
The term “cultural heritage” was introduced by UNESCO legislation in 1973. Cultural heritage or cultural property law (the terms are used interchangeably) regulates and protects culturally significant sites, objects, etc. UNESCO defines the term cultural heritage in several different ways :
Cultural heritage
Tangible cultural heritage:
movable cultural heritage (paintings, sculptures, coins, manuscripts)
mmovable cultural heritage (monuments, archaeological sites, and so on)
underwater cultural heritage (shipwrecks, underwater ruins and cities)
Intangible cultural heritage: oral traditions, performing arts, rituals
Natural heritage: natural sites with cultural aspects such as cultural landscapes, physical, biological or geological formations
Heritage in the event of armed conflict
(Full explanation from UNESCO can be found on this page.)
A sample of the ebooks available to holders of an Oxford SSO. (Most also available in print to readers in the law library)
The Oxford Handbook of International Cultural Heritage Law by 
Frontiers of Cultural Heritage Law by 
International Cultural Heritage Law by 
Cultural Heritage Issues: the legacy of conquest, colonization, and commerce by Print collection
The Bodleian Law Library has four floors of open shelf materials - and an interest in this topic may have you visiting several!
For further guidance on finding commentary, please visit the Books and Journals pages in this guide.
There is an Enquiry Desk just after you enter the Reading Room, please do always feel free to ask for directions once you are in the library.
An example of a title on topic which is available on Level 3, one floor above the entrance level to the law library.
The UNESCO Convention on the Diversity of Cultural Expressions by 