The desire to explore the mysteries that revolve around ancient civilizations, or what we now know as ‘archaeology,’ forms the core of every revolutionary discovery about humanity’s glorious past. As rightly quoted by Walt Disney, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things because we’re curious, and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.”
What do Egyptian hieroglyphics mean? What was the importance of Stonehenge? The tireless need for answers to such questions has unearthed groundbreaking evidence about the lives and culture of ancient human civilizations. Thus, the more pressing fire of problems that threaten to burn these remnants of history appears to us in the form of the need for proper preservation and maintenance of archaeological artefacts.
Security, preservation, and maintenance succeed in exploration. Exploration can serve no fruitful purpose if the preservation of its priceless history is not practised to maintain such discoveries for future study. Destruction and degradation of highly significant sites are not just a loss to the archaeological sector but also greatly impact morale and religious belief among local tribes.
A study conducted by UNESCO at the excavated ruins of the Byzantine township of Caričin Grad in modern Serbia concluded that atmospheric and environmental denudation, coupled with a lack of conservation practices of the various buildings, has resulted in cracking and gradual degradation of the organic constituents in its structures. Furthermore, the Arch of Triumph, an entrance to the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra, was destroyed by ISIS in late 2015, adding to a long list of sites previously demolished by them. In recent times too, religiously significant idols and statues of the Buddha in Afghanistan were demolished by the Taliban.
The main component of the preservation procedure is defence against agents of weathering and erosion. When rock constructions are exposed to the atmosphere during archaeological expeditions, wind, water, bacteria, and other organic impurities in the soil physically erode the inorganic and organic substances, as shown at Caričin Grad and Machu Picchu (Peru). The task of expert conservators, who collaborate closely with archaeologists to ensure the safe study of artifacts in the future, is to maintain and shield art from this weathering. These experts, who are aided by the knowledge and experience of the archaeologists who have conducted their excavations and have firsthand experience with the sites, are necessary to create the most viable and successful plan for the efficient preservation of sites. Their work requires them to analyze these sites' cultural importance and physical circumstances, providing the backbone of our research into the ancient civilisations and, by extension, the bright heritage of human civilization.
The grave importance of preservation must be taken into account during the excavation of archaeological sites.
After all, if curiosity is the seed to the flower of discovery, then preservation is the water and sunlight required for it to blossom.
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