SOUND PROPERTIES OF PLANINSKO POLJE (SLOVENIA) ZVOČNE ZNAČILNOSTI PLANINSKEGA POLJA (SLOVENIJA) Josip KOROŠEC 1 , Boštjan PEROVŠEK 2 , Dejan VONČINA 3 1 J. Korošec, Institut za konservatorstvo in restavratorstvo pri Zavodu za varstvo kulturne dediščine Slovenije 2 B. Perovšek, Saeta- Zavod za kulturne in promocijske aktivnosti 3 D. Vončina, Notranjski muzej, Postojna Received/Prejeto: .29.10.2007 COBISS: 1.04 ACTA CARSOLOGICA 36/3, 511-519, POSTOJNA 2007 The researc� project ‘Defining t � e Heritage P� enom- enon’ � as been organized wit�in t � e programme of t� e Institute for Conservation and Restoration of t� e Insti- tute for t� e Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia (ZVKDS) and t� e Notranjska Museum in Postojna since 2005. Its direct cause was t� e constant discoveries of new qualities and ingredients of t� e notion � eritage itself and t� e increasing complexity of t� e conditionality of its ex- istence, meaning and protection. In t� e processes of sus- tained c� anges in existing relations, it is also s� own as a most sensitive area, w� ose properties are t�reatened by various, often interrelated causes. Conservation practice warns t� at t� eir state depends on a large number of fac- tors. Thus t� e definition of t� e � eritage p� enomena and t� e met� ods of recognizing, evaluating and defining it also brings a gradual implementation of new met� ods of conservation and adaptations of establis� ed ones to its core meaning. However, � eritage represents a p� enomenon only if it is constantly upgraded as a notion and if it uses its � umanization to encourage creativity and to find mean- ing for t� e future in t� e past. It also defines t� e under- standing of t� e dimensions of space-time for a period, t� e dimensions in w�ic � its substance exists and gives it its civilizational-cultural c� aracter, and also t� e dimen- sions creating t� e balance of relations wit�in it or even conditions t� e deconstruction of its ingredients. The fact is t� at t� e notion of � eritage c� anges drastically depend- ing on t� e meaning of its completeness. Some types or protected groups 1 are only now entering public aware- ness and receiving expert treatment, surely because of t� e recognition of t� e value of suc� goods, and also because of t� eir actual involvement and essentiality as t� e core of t� e active space. The realization t� at some of t� em, suc� as cultural landscapes, need a more direct protection, be- cause t� ey are increasingly endangered, also requires a different estimate of causes and consequences of t� e ac- tual states of individual types or goods. Planinsko polje was c� osen as t� e first researc� area because it was estimated t� at it could provide t� e most answers to t� e initial essential questions; t� e purpose is to use t� e gat� ered data to contribute to t� e valorization of t� e effectiveness of individual met� ods and of t� e system of protection itself – especially in t� e areas of prevention and intervention. Considering t� e size, it is a manage- 1 They are individually defined by t� e Law on Cultural Heritage Protection, especially articles 5 and 6. Abstract Josip Korošec, Boštjan Perovšek, Dejan Vončina: Sound proper­ ties of Planinsko polje (Slovenia) Geograp�ically, t � e Planinsko Polje field is one of t� e most pre- served cultural regions of t� e Karstic landscape of inner Slo- venia and as suc� a protected area of national importance. It can be recognized by its exceptional features and landmarks of material and non-material � eritage and by its �ig �-quality sym - biosis of all ingredients in its space. The researc� of sound in t � e area of Planinsko Polje s� ows t� at it is an important, preserved constituent of natural and cultural � eritage. Its manifestations are also interesting as indicators of its actual endangerment. Key words: sound, non-material � eritage, cultural region, pro- tected area. Izvleček Josip Korošec, Boštjan Perovšek, Dejan Vončina: Zvočne zna­ čilnosti Planinskega polja (Slovenija) Planinsko polje kot geografski pojem sodi med najbolj o�ran - jene kulturne krajine kraške krajine notranje Slovenije in s tem med varovana območja državnega pomena. Prepoznaven je po izjemni� dobrina � in znamenitosti � snovne in nesnovne dediščine ter � krati po kakovostnem sožitju vse� sestavin v svo - jem prostoru. Raziskave zvoka v območju Planinskega polja so pokazale, da le ta predstavlja pomembno o�ranjeno sestavino naravne in kulturne dediščine. V svoji pojavnosti pa je zanimiv tudi kot pokazatelj njene dejanske ogroženosti. Ključne besede: zvok, nesnovna dediščina, kulturna krajina, varovano območje. ACTA CARSOLOGICA 36/3 – 2007 512 able area wit� a steady low activity of present factors, an area containing a condensed version of � eritage proper- ties similar to t� ose in more distinctive areas and w� ose complete preservation points to a creative co� abitation between its natural and cultural parts and t� e intertwin- ing wit� ot � er values. The articulation of met� ods and perfection of tools offers among ot� er t�ings a different perception and treatment of t� at part of � eritage w�ic � was in t � e past protected only because of its exclusive existence. One of suc� types is also sound as a c � aracteristic element of expression of a certain time, as a field of presence and creativity of a range of activities in a certain space or as an indicator of development and autonomy of its carriers in overcoming t� e endangerment presented by various factors. That is w� y t� e Institute for Preservation and Res- toration of ZVKDS and t� e Notranjska Museum used t� e programme ‘Defining t� e Heritage P� enomenon’ to present its state in Planinsko Polje; it joins t� e c� aracter- istics of a cultural landscape wit� regional creation of a natural area into a w� ole, w�ic � in time became a quality of national importance. Paradoxically, we realize t� at a sound exists only af- ter it stops. Sounds t� at surround us, or � ad surrounded us, are not given enoug� attention, so t � ey are quickly for- gotten. The disappearance of sounds is just as severe a loss for society as t� e disappearance of t� e items t� ese sounds belong to. Some sounds will never be � eard again, and some only coincidentally: manual grass scyt�ing, manual iron forging, rattling of t� e mills … Suc� t �ings s � ould be arc�ived. In some places, recording � as already been undertaken. In Slovenia t� e ‘lost’ sounds only appear in individual, mostly museum ex�ibitions and in fragments in some sound arc�ives of individual institutions. Not only items, even past periods � ad t� eir own sound. History books record w� at was � appening in a certain era, allowing us to imagine t� e sound of t� e times. Sounds of eac� era are in tune wit � t � e period’s internal life beat, w�ic � can be completely different even between villages and towns. Regions � ave t� eir own dis- tinct sounds as well. The Karst sounds different from t� e Littoral and t� e Pannonian plain; because of different ac- tivities of t� e in� abitants and of course because of t� e natural c� aracteristics of t� e environment. Sound, an ingredient of t� e objective world, wit� its presence defines space as suc� and is a c � aracteris- tic of individual areas. It is all t� at makes sound; carriers or creators of sound can be classified as: direct – nature wit� its p � enomena and � umans wit� t � eir activities and indirect – activities, w� ere sound is only a negligible side effect. Sound is a category understood and perceived as an independent p� enomenon or as a constituent of Sound recording locations, photo: Google Veliki podkovnjak (Rhinolophus ferrumeqinum) planinska jama, photo: Slavko polak JOSIP KOROŠEC, BOŠTJAN PEROVŠEK & DEJAN VONČINA ACTA CARSOLOGICA 36/3 – 2007 513 ot� er processes. Simultaneously, sound is an intangible substance, limited in time and variously endangered. Preserving, protecting and saving its values demands a suitable integration into a system of non-material, intan- gible � eritage 2 , 1 w�ic � can transport us into sound-active, long-gone spaces. Notionally, t� e field of sound as a range of sound oscillation is divided into four essentially different types: tone, timbre, noise and bang. All four are in t� e so-called sound field, w�ic � defines t � e space in w�ic � sound p � e- nomena occur. Thus, t� e area of capturing and editing t� e sounds must be in tune or connected to t� e space 3 ; t� e 2 topic of researc� s � ould be elements of natural and urbane environments – because t� at is t� e only way to obtain correct realizations about t� e origins, creation, transformation and disappearance or perseverance of sound in a specific area. The research encompasses: General sound phenomena: are not directly con- nected to a specific p� enomenon and are not created only by � umans wit� t � eir activity and are not only a product of natural p� enomena. Example: slamming: wind slam- ming into windows (natural p� enomena) or doors or windows slamming (� uman p� enomena) Natural sound phenomena: are directly connected to certain natural p� enomena caused by natural factors (wind, rain, snow, water, fire, rock crumbling …) or are caused by animals 4 . 3 2 Convention for t� e Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Herita- ge, UNESCO 2003 3 Miroslav Adlešič, Svet zvoka in glasbe (2. knjiga), Svet žive fizike (World of Sound and Music (2nd book), World of Liv- ing P� ysics), Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana 1964, p.p.657 4 M. Adlešič, pp. 356-362 Human sound phenomena: are directly connected to certain natural p� enomena caused by � uman activity. We can divide t� em into sound p� enomena caused by � uman tools or activities developed t�roug � develop - ment of civilization (treating materials wit� manual or mac�ine tools, electronics, appliances, �ig � tec �nolo - gies…), current state in t� e field of culture (artistic and scientific activities, system of verbal expression in inter- personal contacts, oral � eritage …) and sound effects specific to � umans as living beings (breat�ing, � eartbeat, blood circulation, spatial movement …). During t� e gat� ering, sorting and preservation of sound materials, special attention s� ould be paid to rec- ognition of sound equivalents. These are sound effects from various sources and categories, w�ic � are analysed as similar or comparable. In t�is case it can be said t � ey are sound associations or similar sounds 5 . 4 Sound is an element of a certain space and time, not only because of its presence, but also as a reflection of activity and c� angeability of relations inside and outside of t� e monitored area; a part of sound enters, invades t� e monitored area from outside. Sound exists also as a co- creator of properties and co-designer of c� aracteristics and specifics of a researc� ed area, w� ic� is in our case Planinsko Polje. It was recorded at t� e locations around t� e castle Haasberg, near t� e cave spring Škratovka, in t� e � amlet Malni, w� ere t� ey used to � ave mills, near t� e spring of Unica, in Planinska Jama cave, Vranja Jama cave, Jama Mačkovica cave, near t� e Ravbarjev Stolp tower, on Planinska Gora � ill, around Jakovica, on Pla- ninsko Polje itself and in t� e village Planina. Connecting t� e locations � elps create t� e geometry of space for t� e spread of sound and its intertwining wit� ot� er ingre- dients. 5 M. Adlešič, pp. 710-718 Sound sceneries endangering the space of planinsko polje, photo: Google SOUND PROPERTIES OF FIELD PLANINSKO POLJE (SLOVENIA) ACTA CARSOLOGICA 36/3 – 2007 514 The recording of t� e materials mentioned in t�is ar - ticle 61 was carried out in one year. So t� e recordings are in a c�ronological order: from t � e sunny and warm Sep- tember 15 t� , 2005 to t� e relatively cold and rainy Septem- ber 15 t� , 2006, wit� t � e sound of a roebuck troating in t� e nig� t of September 20 t� , 2006 72 appended. It is of course a very condensed representation of a relatively big sound space, intended more to familiarize people wit� t � e sound situation t� an for intense study and understanding. For a better sound image it would be necessary to integrate t� e sound into space wit� a multi-c � annel system, wit� a so-called surround sound tec�nique. And it would make sense to continuously inform listeners of t� e location and t� e season w� en t� e material was recorded. These are our goals for t� e future 8 . 3 Throug� time, sound actually c � anges t� e core un- derstanding and purpose of space. For example, in t� e cemetery near Planina, it is obvious t� at w� en it was created, t� e space was perfect for its purpose if sound is considered; it was an area of relative quiet. Now t� ere is a well travelled road rig� t next to it, a source of aggres- sive noise; it can be seen as a disturbance in space and a degradation of t� e original purpose 9 . 4 Of course we can- not treat all sounds introduced by civilization as degra- dation, but also as t� e accompanying element of � uman presence and our activity. We can also speak about degra- dation w� en t� e quantity of sound presence of an activity becomes t� e prevalent sound element and is as suc� seen as sound pollution; t� e sound balance is disrupted. As an example of sound pollution and sound transforma- tion we can list sound events located on t� e CD Celoletni zvoki Planinskega polja / Sound Properties of Planinsko Polje, appended to t� e article. First, t� e ruins of castle Haasberg, w� ic� were t� e starting point for collecting sound materials. Be- cause of t� e absence of windows, doors and walls, t� e presence of exterior sounds is normal; and access into t� e building (alt� oug� dangerous) is possible. On 6 attac� ed CD, Celoletni zvoki Planinskega polja, zvočni posnetek št. 1 / Sound Properties of Planinsko Polje, sound track nr. 1 7 The w� ole sound arc�ive consists of 7 � ours and 12 minutes of sound at 16 bit/48kHz. Most of t� e material is in stereo. The following equipment was used for recording: professional sol- id state recorder Marantz PMD 660 and microp� ones S� ure VP88, Sony ECM-672 and t.bone EM9900. Sorting and edit- ing materials was carried out on computers Apple wit� t � e MOTU 828 mk2, RME Fireface 800 interface and software packages Cubase 3Sx, Cubase 4 and Logic Pro 7.2.3. The CD master was prepared wit� t � e program WaveBurner. 8 The task could be executed as a multimedia presentation, w� ose integral part could be t� e recording on DVD. 9 Appended CD, recording nr. 12 recording 105 no. 2 a German s� ep� erd, can be � eard freely walking around inside. Because t� e image of t� e w� ole area around t� e castle c� anged, domestic animals live t� ere now. We can � ear a donkey braying on recording no. 3. T� ere is an asp� alt road running past t� e castle, on w� ic� footsteps (recording no. 4) make a completely different sound t� an t� ey used to on a dirt road. Below t� e castle, t� e river Unica flows, s� aring its sound space wit� traffic on recording no. 5 and wit� t� e ringing of remote bells (recording no. 6). At t� e castle, we can also � ear t� e sounds of t� e road t� roug� t� e village Planina accompanied by birdsong (recording no. 7). In t� e � amlet Malni, w� ere t� ey used to � ave windmills, t� e sound of t� eir w� eels � as been replaced by t� e sound of water in t� e remain- ing mill troug� s (recording no. 8). Around Ravbarjev Stolp, t� e pleasant sound of snowmelt dripping from t� e roof (recording no. 9) is joined by t� e disturbing buzz of a near-by power plant (recording no. 10). In t� e village Planina, t� e sound of carts was replaced by t� e � eavy traffic of motor ve� icles (recording no. 11) on t� e road w� ic� also leads past t� e cemetery near t� e c� urc� (recording no. 12). T� e evening peace during a sunset at t� e castle Haasberg is s� attered by a remote motorcyclist and a motor plane (recording no. 13); in t� e middle of Planinsko Polje, t� e frog concert is joined by a � ig� -flying passenger plane (re- cording no. 14). Listening to t� e roebucks near t� e c� urc� above Jakovica, we are constantly reminded of t� e near-by � ig� way (recording no. 15) and it seems t� at t� e primordial sounds can only be found in t� e embrace of caves. In t� e Planinska Jama cave we are welcomed by t� e overw� elming sound of t� e conflu- ence of t� e rivers Pivka and Raka (recording no. 16), not far into Vranja Jama we can � ear t� e crowing of crows toget� er wit� t� e romantic dripping of water (recording no. 17). Researc� of sound demands interdisciplinarity; de - spite its non-material nature it is an intertwining of bot� areas of � eritage: material and non-material. Since it is necessary to encapsulate t� e p� enomena in t� e w� ole of t� e researc� ed space, including natural p� enomena and � uman activity, we need to originate from t� e values t� e space possesses, into w�ic � we can plant t � e gat� - ered materials and establis� criteria to give certain types of sounds t� e status of � eritage. It will also be necessary to define t� e core terminology and gat� er t� oug� ts and data on sound and its c�ronological order. In t � e later process of presenting t� e collected materials it is t� e duty 10 All subsequent recordings are located on t� e CD Celoletni zvoki Planinskega polja / Sound Properties of Planinsko Polje, appended to t� e article. JOSIP KOROŠEC, BOŠTJAN PEROVŠEK & DEJAN VONČINA ACTA CARSOLOGICA 36/3 – 2007 515 past eras t� us be- come a basis or at least a part of a modern art work, w� ic� as suc� represents an ele- ment of modern information. Thus we prove t� e con- nection of t� e past wit� t� e present. The disappearance of sounds is only one of t� e as- pects of t� e sound image of our lives. Sounds are con- stantly c� anging, as t� e environment is c� anging as well. We need to become aware of t� e fleeting nature of moments we experience. Sounds accompanying an ex- of t� e relevant institution to present and interpret results. The presentation can be � eld in a museum in t� e tradi- tional style or by creating a virtual space, offering a spa- tial sound and image presentation. Reasons for t�is activity, w �ic � at first glance could not be classified as economically beneficial, s� ould be listed or pointed out as well. Usefulness of arc�iving it - self can be seen in its connections wit� researc � in t � e areas of �istory, art �istory, et �nology … even art. The understanding of items and t� e w� ole environment itself is done wit� all t � e senses. Thus, information about a tool or activity, i.e. at a museum ex�ibition is not complete wit� out sound. How to explain t� e workings of a tool or mac�ine and t � e disrupting impact of its sound on t� e environment, if t� e item displayed is small; people often connect p� ysical size wit� t � e (non)noisiness of t� e item. That is very � ard to do wit� out a sound illustration, wit� only tec�nical data. However, arc� ive sounds are not only a means to turn back t� e clock. Ordering t� em in a � armonious series we can create sound-noise compositions, coming alive as new aest� etic forms; old sounds as carriers of information of Detail from the cave (planinska jama), photo: S. polak plane photo of planinsko polje, photo: T. meze meadow squill (scilla litardierei), photo: A. Seliškar Kapniška mokrica, Niphargus stygius, photo: S. polak planinsko polje, photo: S. polak meandering of river Unica, photo: T. meze Recording sound in planina, photo: j. Korošec Roe Deer (Capreolus capreolus), photo: S. polak SOUND PROPERTIES OF FIELD PLANINSKO POLJE (SLOVENIA) ACTA CARSOLOGICA 36/3 – 2007 516 perience are gone first. As a society and state we could prevent t� at. The project ‘Sounds properties of t� e Karst field Planinsko Polje’ is t� us only a stone in t� e mosaic of suc� endeavours. Experts consider Planinsko Polje to be a typical ex- ample of a polje, nature lovers see it as a pearl of nature, w� ere t� ey return again and again, fis� ermen see it as a fly fis�ing paradise, natives see it as land feeding t � eir livestock, a region t� at silently, almost unnoticeably lives wit� t � em. A field wit� at least four faces: spring, sum - mer, autumn and winter; and at t� e same time, a field wit� numerous mysterious sounds. Planinsko Polje is our most typical polje and seen by various sciences (geology, geomorp� ology, geog- rap� y, � ydrology, regional arc� itecture, � eritage pres- ervation etc.) as an exceptional natural p� enomenon of not only national wort� but also natural � eritage of all � umanity. Experts in general see Planinsko Polje as a globally known example of an ideal polje wit� a � ig� density of classical karstic p� enomena in t� e bottom, on t� e fringes and in t� e broader � interlands. Considering t� e centuries of t� e � istory of karst researc� in Slovenia, from Valvasor onwards, it could be said t� at it is a ‘locus classicus’ for some karstic p� enomena. Due to natural peculiarities and a unique activity of natural processes and t� e endeavours of many generations of natives to co-naturally manage t� e space, it is also an exception- al cultural region. Elsew� ere in t� e world, most poljes � ave been ruined because of anti-flooding measures. Even t� oug� it was partially drained, Planinsko Polje as a w� ole luckily remained relatively preserved and is in t� is way unique as well. As suc� , it is a rarity in t� e w� ole of t� e Dinaric world, w� ere suc� poljes are rare and muc� degraded. Thus, we support t� e endeavours to preserve Planinsko Polje wit� its karstic fringe and caves as a natural monument of state or national importance. Planinsko Polje is a part of t� e karstic river basin of Ljubljanica and t� e nort� -westernmost in a series of poljes of t� e river’s system. Its altitude is 447 metres above sea level. The area of t� e polje is 11 km 2 and t� e longer axis, 6 km long, is in line wit� t� e Dinaric direc- tion. This area is t� e place of t� e confluence of t� e river Pivka and water from Cerkniško Polje. The rivers join in Planinska Jama and are seen as a unique example of underground river confluences. Waters of t� ese rivers, w� ic� burst out of t� e eart� under a stunning gable in front of Planinska Jama, are � encefort� known as river Unica. The field � as a prominent influx side wit� beautiful springs in front of t� e cave itself and strong influxes Malenščica and torrential Škratovka. Throug� millennia, t� e river wit� its sediments sculpted t� e Pla- ninska Kotlina Basin into a picturesque and very typi- cal polje. Because its river bed was created in t� is way, t� e river Unica meanders in great turns, so its flow is t� ree times longer (18 km) t� an Planinsko Polje. Documentary drawings, global threats: litho - bio - atmosphere, j. Korošec Lime blossom, j. Korošec Natural stone pattern, j. Korošec Corncrake, j. Korošec JOSIP KOROŠEC, BOŠTJAN PEROVŠEK & DEJAN VONČINA Climate c� anges Demograp�ic growt � Civilization development ACTA CARSOLOGICA 36/3 – 2007 517 Especially prominent are t� e sout� , western, and nort� -western fringes of t� e polje wit� springs, and eastern and nort� -eastern wit� a bunc� of sink� oles. The polje does not � ave surface tributaries, receiving t� e water from real karstic springs. Floods on Planinsko Polje � ave become a part of its in� abitants’ lives. W� en t� e flow of Unica near castle Haasberg rises above 60 m 3 /s, t� e sink� oles are unable to swallow all t� e water. Unica breac� es t� e banks and spreads across t� e field. Floods occur several times a year and are most common in late autumn and early spring and last for a few days. Because of t� e yearly floods t� e bottom of t� e field is a more or less natural grass field mostly of t� e swamp field type wit� some vegetative peculiarities: meadow squill, blue Siberian iris, red medicinal burnets, purple Illyrian gladioli, to mention only t� ose t� at give colour to w� ole meadows. They are often � osts to numerous birds, butterflies and even to 110 species of snails and s� ells. In numerous caves in Planinsko Polje, t� ere is a ric� collection of underground fauna. The most famous case is t� e � uman fis� (Croteus anguinus). The symbiosis between cultural and natural � eri- tage, co-created by planned or spontaneous, organized or coincidental processes and p� enomena, � as c� anged into a quality recognizable in regularly preserved, ex- ceptionally or generally recognized goods and attrac- tions 11 . 1 They inform us of t� e � istoric events, develop- ment processes and � abits. Relatively small and wit� a distinctive natural c� aracter, Planinsko Polje is defined to suc� an extent t� at it would be � ard to introduce into it somet� ing not subject to existing factors. Precisely because of t� e size it represented a geograp� ically, stra- tegically useful and active point, interesting to t� e out- side world, and not an area in w� ic� different interests and ambitions could be realized. Probably, t� at is also t� e cause w� y even now t� e in� abitants can decide on suc� ways of being in Planinsko Polje t� at s� ow t� e un- derstanding and t� e ad� erence to its properties gained t� roug� time. On t� e basis of conservatorial and ot� er scientific results and suggestions in international recommenda- tions and legal acts 12 , 2 t� e researc�, w �ile gradually dis - 11 Ivan Marušič, Margita Jančič, Kraške krajine notranje Slove- nije (Regionalna razdelitev krajinski� tipov Slovenije, 4) (Karstic Regions of Interior Slovenia (Regional Division of Landscape Types of Slovenia, 4), Ministrstvo za okolje, pro- stor RS, Urad RS za prostorsko planiranje (Ministry of t� e Environment and Spatial Planning RS, Office for Spatial Planning), Ljubljana 1998 12 Expert meeting on community involvement in safeguard- ing intangible cultural � eritage: Towards t� e implemen- tation of t� e 2003 convention (13-15 Marc� 2006, To - kyo), Intangible Heritage Section, UNESCO 2006 covering individual facts, is mostly focused on t� e area of connections between t� e material and non-material and between t� e natural and t� e cultural. It is a basic quality and a moderator of existing processes. Most of t� e prom- inent carriers of suc� properties of t � e protected area are in t� e sout�-western part of Planinsko Polje, w � ere t� e morp� ology of t� e relief and t� e strategy of work caused t� e activities to condense; now t� ey are spreading to t� e ot� er areas in accordance wit� t � e regional image, allow- ing natural p� enomena to be even more independent. Thus, t� e dialogue between t� e market Planina, w�ic � is urbanistically organized in two parallels along t� e regional road, and castle Haasberg, t� e �istori - cally and economically based complex 13 , 3 gave birt� to a functional and imaginary triangle, into w� ose frame all t� e key factors of bot� agglomerations fit. The pres- ence of t� e river Unica, w�ic � functions as a belt, cre - ated mostly by nature and its p� enomena, is a border between t� em and at t� e same time an equal ingredient of t� e 14 . 4 Morp� ologically, Planina, called Alben in t� e Middle Ages, was created by transport, t� e core activity of t� e ancient road connection of Ljubljana and Postojna and t� e wider sout� western area. Before t � e demanding mountain pass ‘Postojna Gate’ it split into t� e old pre- sumably Roman route towards Predjama, Nanos and t� e Littoral; and t� e one t� at goes from Haasberg castle to- wards Unec, Rakek and Cerknica. The final point of t� e triangle is t� e preserved, round Ravbarjev Stolp tower, t� e remains of t� e medi- eval, well-fortified Mali Grad castle. It was placed above t� e entrance to Planinska Jama cave and after several owners it at last became property of t� e Haasberg gentry. Culturally, it is t� e most prominent ingredient of Planin- sko Polje. Today more of a trace of t� e previous subject, t� e castle started its developmental journey, in accordance wit� t � e dangers of medieval times and relevance of pre- vious experience, on t� e top of a �ill as a fortified castle. Because of t� e c� anges in t� e way of life and wit� t � e factors w�ic � are a constant in forming t � e regional im- Miroslav Adlešič, Svet zvoka in glasbe (2. knjiga), svet žive fizike, zbirka Priroda in ljudje (World of Sound and Music (2nd book), World of Living P� ysics, collection Nature and People), Mladinska knjiga, Ljubljana 1963 13 Nataša Štupar – Šumi, Dvorec Planina (Haasberg) pri Rakeku, Varstvo spomenikov 28 (Manor Planina (Haasberg) near Rakek), Zavod RS za varstvo naravne in kulturne dediščine (Institute for t� e Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia), Ljubljana 1986, pp. 89-100 14 Vodno bogastvo Slovenije (Water Wealt� of Slovenia), Mini- strstvo za okolje, prostor in energijo, Agencija RS za okolje (Ministry of t� e Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy, Environment Agency), Ljubljana 2003 SOUND PROPERTIES OF FIELD PLANINSKO POLJE (SLOVENIA) ACTA CARSOLOGICA 36/3 – 2007 518 points into an organized system. Bot� components, t � e natural and t� e artificial, became � umanized into a � ar- monic w� ole in t�is system despite t � e extravagance of t� e arc�itecture. Thus t� e roof of t� e castle building could age, it obtained its final s� ape as a representative building in t� e beginning of t� e 18 t� century, w� en t� e estate was owned by t� e family Cobencel, it was build on an axis, precisely pointing across t� e terraced descent into t� e valley to Ravbar Tower and entrance to Planinska Jama cave. An actual support for building and park arc�itec - ture, t� e tower was t� e essential connection of remote Wet-canvas drawing, by: Franz Kurz, h aasberg through time, photo: m. Korošec, h aasberg today - detail, photo: m. Korošec Aerial photo of the SE Art of planinsko polje, photo: T. meze Castle h aasberg, photo: m. Korošec Castle h aasberg, photo: B. perovšek Buzzard, photo: L. Kebe yellowhammer, photo: L. Kebe Coenonympha arcania, photo: S. polak morimus funereus, photo: S. polak JOSIP KOROŠEC, BOŠTJAN PEROVŠEK & DEJAN VONČINA ACTA CARSOLOGICA 36/3 – 2007 519 protect all t� e peculiarities of aristocratic life w�ic � was seen as generally accepted by t� e environment, mostly because of t� e t� oug� tful and continuously upgraded at- titude towards nature, i.e. water, t� e crucial ingredient of developed ambiences, besides its picturesque looks en- � anced by t� e karstic p� enomena, moisture and sound also supplied economic structures, suc� as mills, saws and suc� wit � energy. The t�ings produced by t � e cre- ativity of gardeners en� anced wit� imagination, suc � as t� e variety of gardens or individual rock formations, were already naturally supplied by t� e environment. We s� ould not forget t� e environment, not only bordering but also entering t� e castle area wit� its vegetation and flora, s� owing its existence in non-material terms as well. The p� ysical connection among t� e establis� ed objects and Trg Planina market was provided by t� e road per- pendicular to t� e axis and leading towards t� e settlement and t� e one following t� e edges of t� e valley towards for- mer work buildings and Malni and so on. Less geometrically strict, but no less welcoming are t� e rural settlements Laze, Grčarevec and Jakovica and ot� er � amlets and individual farms, placed on t� e rises and t� e terraced fringe. Described, some only partially preserved values, forming a cultural ingredient of � eritage, do not t�reaten nature and its existence wit� t � eir presence. Furt� ermore, researc� s � ows t� at in Planinsko Polje bot� are equal and t� us prove t� e importance of � armony in suc� a space as a quality t� at needs protection. Similarly, all t� ose values included in t� e notion of non-material � eritage s� ould be protected as well, even t� oug� t � e field is only now re- ceiving a more complex scientific treatment in Slovenia. Thus, t� e sound recordings in Planinsko Polje start an analysis of its basic presence, about t� e types of its mani- festations and t� e role it � as as an indicator of relations between individual carriers and t� e degree of endanger- ment, especially t� at caused by t� e environment outside t� e studied area. Undoubtedly, t� e systematic recording of sound is a way of documenting certain � eritage types and a form of preserving its non-material properties. Simultane- ously, it is a tool w�ic � can more prominently contribute to prevention and � elp wit� protection measures. Fur - t� ermore, t� e existing and anticipated relations dictate a more complete use of t� e dimensions of sound for gen- eral prevention purposes. LITERATURE Tanja Žigon, 1997: Planinsko Polje, publis�ing � ouse Tuma d.o.o., Ljubljana, Rado Smerdu, 1979: Planinsko polje kot del najpo- membnejše dediščine Slovenije (Planinsko Polje as part of Slovenia’s most important � eritages), Varstvo narave št. 12 (Nature Protection, issue 12), Ljubljana, Slavko Polak, 2006: Opazovanje ptic, Priročnik za opa- zovanje ptic na izbrani� območji � Notranjske, krasa in obale (Manual for Bird Watc�ing on Selected Ar - eas of Notranjska, t� e Karst and t� e Littoral), Posto- jnska jama, turizem d.d., Postojna, Drago Kolenc, 2006: Dober dan, Krpanova dežela (Good Morning Land of Krpan), Notranjsko kraški region- alni zavod za turizem Postojna in Postojnska jama, turizem d.d., Postojna, Pobuda za zaščito Planinskega polja Slovenskega geološkega društva in Geomorfološkega društva Slovenije (Initiative to Protect Planinsko Polje by t� e Slovenian Geological Society and t� e Geomorp� ological Society of Slovenia) SOUND PROPERTIES OF FIELD PLANINSKO POLJE (SLOVENIA)