Rig Veda in UNESCO list

Matsuura said he had approved the latest inscriptions, which were recommended by the International Advisory Committee of the Memory of the World Programme during a meeting last week in South Africa.

The programme, launched in 1992 to preserve and promote documentary heritage of global significance, much of which is endangered, helps networks of experts to exchange information and raise resources for preservation and access to, documentary material.

This year’s additions include The Story of the Kelly Gang, an Australian film from 1906 that is the world’s first feature length movie, the family archives of Nobel from 1840 to 1900, the personal archives of the Swedish film director Ingmar Bergman and the archives of the Red Cross from 1914 to 1923.

They also include the not so modern, such as France’s Bayeux Tapestry, an embroidery depicting life in the 11th century, Hereford Mappa Mundi, the only complete example of a large medieval world map and Korean printing woodblocks of Buddhist texts dating from the 13th century.

Matsuura also announced that the UNESCO Jikji Prize, an award of $30,000, has been given to Austria’s Phonogrammarchiv, in recognition of its contribution to the advancement of audio and video preservation.