Preserving excavated sites a big challenge, say archaeologists

BENGALURU: Breathtaking brick relics from a Jain centre, remains from the Ganga and Hoysala periods, a sculpture of the Tirthankara on the hill top, foundations, pillars and stone remnants –– all of these and more were recently excavated by the Archaeology Survey of India (ASI) from Arthipura in Mandya district. This, after they toiled for two years. However, what worries archaeologists is preservation of such excavated sites from natural and man-made threats.
While South India boasts of many such heritage sites, archaeologists and historians expressed concern at a workshop in the city on Thursday about how many of these places are exposed to exploitation.
An initiative of ASI in collaboration with National Institute of Advanced Studies (NIAS), the workshop marked the celebration of World Heritage Week and saw around 100 scholars, archaeologists and experts from Bengaluru and Chennai participate. From lack of public interest in preserving these sites, threats from the real estate lobby and contractors to quarrying and rapid urbanization, experts pointed to the many challenges that stare at them.
Said A Sundara, an archaeologist and retired professor at Karnataka University, Dharwad, “After a site is excavated, the artifacts are taken to the museum and preserved. However, there is hardly anyone to take care of the exposed sites, which are of immense historical and cultural significance. Early brick foundations and Jain remains of the Ganga period are rare. Ignorant of their worth, locals take away excavated material and bricks from the sites, something that happened in the case of Vadgaon Madhavpura, a 2000-year-old town in Belagavi famous for its early brick architecture.”
“To prevent this plunder, panchayats and local communities need to be engaged in conservation efforts. They need to realize the importance of such places,” he added.
“The threat is not just limited to locals taking away excavated material. Quarrying activity and real estate are dangerous too. Not just archaeologists and experts, even the common man should be wary about these weathering remnants and come up with ways to secure them. Following our ancestors, we are trying to emulate the Chola way of classifying bricks based on the period they belong to and converting them into stones which are less perishable. We also plan to educate the local communities about the same,” said Sharada Srinivasan, professor, School of Humanities at NIAS.
Added KK Mohammad, retired director at the ASI, “Another way of raising the value of these heritage sites is by turning them into tourist spots, for which both private and private sector involvement is a must.”