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Pirhayati M. (2024). Reading the Meanings and Concepts of the Challenges of Conserving the Cultural Landscape of the Historical Bridges of Lorestan. Parseh J. Archaeol. Stud.. 8(29), 355-385. doi:10.22034/PJAS.8.29.355
URL: http://journal.richt.ir/mbp/article-1-952-en.html

Abstract
Lorestan province has established the connection between the capitals and important cities of Iran during different eras. The need for quick and easy access and permanent communication between these areas has led to the construction of huge bridges despite the rivers full of water and deep valleys. Because these bridges are a natural interwoven complex and have interactions with humans, bridges over time in the geographical area of Middle Zagros of Lorestan connect with great civilizations and in a way realize human rights and religious, ethnic, and economic relations. and cultural as well as the development of welfare, security and comfort are used in difficult mountainous areas, they can well represent the concepts of the cultural landscape. Studying these properties and their cultural landscape can help to identify the components of cultural landscapes and their conservation in addition to conserving the bridges themselves. On the other hand, the first and most important step is to identify the challenges that have not been identified and classified so far. Based on this, the research aims to identify the challenges of conserving the cultural landscapes of Lorestan’s historical bridges through the review and analysis of documents related to this issue. In this research, library and field information was collected on the valuable historical bridges of the Kashkan River, and then the concepts of challenges and their subsets through analysis using the qualitative research method. Data analysis was done through coding operations at 3 levels and finally, the challenges and sub-challenges related to it were categorized into 6 general categories according to the characteristics and indicators of the study samples.
Keywords: Conservation Challenges, Historical Bridges of Lorestan, Cultural landscape, Kashkan River, Coding.

Introduction
Bridges have existed in the mountainous land of Iran as buildings with Iranian architecture since prehistoric times. These properties made the distances shorter and faster because they made it possible to pass easily and safely through the natural complications of rivers and valleys. The need for quick and easy access and permanent communication between these areas has led to the construction of huge bridges (Minorsky, 1937). So far, a significant number of bridges have been reported in the mountainous land of Zagros, which surrounds Khuzestan (Siroux, 1949). Most of these bridges are located in Lorestan. Lorestan is located between the two ancient capitals of Susa and Hamedan. Therefore, the existence of roads, highways and bridges has been necessary as a means of communication. The traces of 100 historical bridges have been observed in more than 25 ancient sites on the map of Lorestan, some of which were built in the Sassanid period in parallel with the expansion of cities and have made great progress in terms of engineering methods and understanding of hydrodynamics it has been observed. Lack of awareness and knowledge of the high value of these properties and related elements (cultural landscape) have caused them to be exposed to much damage. On the other hand, the custodians of conservation have never been able to achieve the necessary successes in the field of conservation of Lorestan historical bridges due to a lack of knowledge of the challenges of conserving these properties and the context in which they are located and the one-dimensional view of conservation on this issue.
The challenges faced in conserving cultural landscapes show the inefficiency of the current system of conserving cultural landscapes, which, if not identified and categorized and solutions are not considered, can lead to the following crises at different times:
• The emergence of a one-dimensional perspective (mere physical protection) and one-dimensional approaches such as a product-oriented approach to the issue of cultural conservation of historical bridges of Lorestan;
• Ignoring the important and key issues in planning the cultural landscape of Lorestan historical bridges;
• Inability to educate and attract the participation of the public to preserve these valuable properties;
• Failure to provide appropriate solutions and not identify internal and external threats in the field of policy and legislation to conserve the aforementioned properties;
• Making the problem of increasing the level of expertise of experts concerning the mentioned cultural landscapes.
Therefore, this research has tried to introduce and categorize the challenges as far as possible to understand. Considering the qualitative and objective of the research, to achieve the research objectives, the following questions are raised:
• What are the challenges of cultural conservation of Lorestan historical bridges? 
• How can we achieve a classified, classified structure of the challenges of conserving cultural landscapes of Lorestan historical bridges?

Identified Traces 
Since each qualitative research is unique and inimitable, the analytical approach used in this research is also unique, but as mentioned, coding was done in 3 Stages through searching in documents, and related charters and used in the form of first-round, second-round (middle) and third round (post-coding). The term “cultural landscape” itself has been a double essence in its nature since the early years of its creation in the field of scientific societies. The challenges posed in conserving cultural landscapes themselves demonstrate the inefficiency of the current system of cultural landscape conservation. Eventually, 137 codes to 68 codes and finally 18 common codes in the field of cultural landscape conservation challenges were achieved. This research has been conducted by continuing to analyze and adapt the common outcomes with the study samples, reaching 10 common categories and 6 main concepts that form the main framework and conclusion framework of the research.
“These concepts are the beginning of writing theories, reading the challenges of conserving the cultural landscape of Lorestan historical bridges, and the last stage of the journey from reality to abstraction.”
Therefore, as mentioned, the challenges that have been achieved from the researcher’s study in the literature of the research subject to conserve cultural landscapes have been used and adapted with the field studies of the researcher to achieve the challenges of cultural landscape conservation of historical bridges, were finally categorized into the following 6 categories:  
• Policy making and legislation;
• Conservation approaches;
• The level of expertise of cultural landscape experts in the areas of identification, evaluation, monitoring and management of cultural landscapes;
• Educating the community to conserve cultural landscapes
• Threats arising from internal and external factors of cultural landscapes; and
• The paradigm shift of Conserving Cultural Landscapes.

Conclusion
This research tried to identify the meanings and concepts of challenge, as qualitative and applied research, and to classify the challenges of cultural conservation of historical bridges of Kashkan River in Lorestan by analyzing the literature and theoretical foundations. Finally, these challenges were divided into 6 groups through coding in three stages and the path from reality to abstraction, with related sub-challenges of each category. The number of codes and percentage of each of the challenges were presented in the relevant tables to be able to familiarize readers with them, study the most important of these challenges and their impact on the studied properties in different dimensions if needed and be aware of them. 
In response to the first question of the research, all the challenges of conserving the cultural landscapes of the mentioned historical bridges were obtained through library and field studies and then by analyzing the literature and theoretical foundations of the subject in 6 general categories along with the sub-challenges. Challenges that each one needs to understand, plan and use different experts to meet them at different time intervals.
In response to the second question, the research attempted to achieve a structured, classified, and categorized framework by collecting, and analyzing the literature and theoretical foundations of the research, exploring the concepts and challenges of conserving cultural landscapes through the process of conservation in charters, conventions and treaties related to the subject, and localizing the mentioned challenges to be adaptable and using them as a conservation factor.
These achievements are certainly not complete and only part of the researcher’s achievements in this field are due to interest and dependence on valuable and unrepeatable properties of the historical bridges of Lorestan. properties that have embraced the identity and cultural values of a people from a long time ago and require the participation of all people, especially local communities whose main beneficiaries. In all stages from identifying challenges to conserving cultural landscapes of Lorestan historical bridges, the unmatched role of indigenous people and local communities should be considered the most important factor in conserving historical bridges, because they are the main owners of these monuments and the most important unclaimed conservationists.