ABSTRACT
At any moment in time, any society is using its general heritage from the past, namely all that it inherits from its forebears. Its varied character can be categorized as follows:
(a) physical stock: natural resources or man-made, the latter being divided into works and buildings attached to the land (immobile) and those that are not (mobile);
(b) activities: in consumption, production, religion, arts, knowledge, folklore and tradition.
