Post by auntym on Apr 23, 2015 12:15:33 GMT -6
www.dailygrail.com/Sacred-Sites/2015/4/Archaeological-Vandalism-One-Stone-Time
Archaeological Vandalism: One Stone at a Time
Posted by Martin J. Clemens
22 Apr 2015
One of the main functions of archaeology, beyond locating and studying our past, is in preserving that past for future study and appreciation. And that’s not always an easy job. There’s a never-ending onslaught of abuse aimed at the places of our past; weather, natural erosion, and natural disaster are ever-present enemies of the archeologist and preservationist. It’s a wonder anything has survived the eons on this environmental cage-match we call a planet.
Of course, those natural problems pale in comparison to the man-made threats to these important elements of the past. From pollution and the effects of climate change, to war – which often includes direct and deliberate threats to historical monuments and artefacts, such as we saw recently in the middle-east at the hands of ISIL militants – to looting and theft, vandalism, commercial development, and just plain stupidity. Even just the general wear of the constant waves of tourists who’ve travelled far to marvel at the beauty and mystery, but whose very presence is a threat to the survival of those wonders. Just last year, preservationists in southern France completed a painstaking reproduction of Chauvet Cave, which is where some of the oldest known cave art adorns the stone walls, so that tourists could experience the cave without disturbing it - intentionally or otherwise. The same has been done with the caves at Lascaux, and Altamira in Madrid, Spain.
These replicas, which have faithfully reproduced not only the artwork in the caves but in some cases the general shape and layout of the caves themselves in museum spaces, were actually created for two reasons: foremost for the preservation of the caves and art, but also for the safety of tourists. In years past, many of these sites were mishandled; Lascaux even had air conditioning installed back in the 1980’s. These measures, which catered to the people rather than the artefacts, drastically changed the atmosphere inside the caves. This resulted in the growth of massive mold colonies that released dangerous pathogens in the air, which in turn caused officials to close the real site to the public permanently. Just breathing on such artefacts causes damage, as anyone who’s visited the Louvre Museum in Paris knows well.
That’s not the only way these ancient sites and artefacts are threatened though. When you go on vacation to a tropical locale, have you ever taken a stone from the beach as a souvenir? That’s a somewhat common practise, and in most cases is harmless, but that’s not true of every holiday destination.
CONTINUE READING: www.dailygrail.com/Sacred-Sites/2015/4/Archaeological-Vandalism-One-Stone-Time
Archaeological Vandalism: One Stone at a Time
Posted by Martin J. Clemens
22 Apr 2015
One of the main functions of archaeology, beyond locating and studying our past, is in preserving that past for future study and appreciation. And that’s not always an easy job. There’s a never-ending onslaught of abuse aimed at the places of our past; weather, natural erosion, and natural disaster are ever-present enemies of the archeologist and preservationist. It’s a wonder anything has survived the eons on this environmental cage-match we call a planet.
Of course, those natural problems pale in comparison to the man-made threats to these important elements of the past. From pollution and the effects of climate change, to war – which often includes direct and deliberate threats to historical monuments and artefacts, such as we saw recently in the middle-east at the hands of ISIL militants – to looting and theft, vandalism, commercial development, and just plain stupidity. Even just the general wear of the constant waves of tourists who’ve travelled far to marvel at the beauty and mystery, but whose very presence is a threat to the survival of those wonders. Just last year, preservationists in southern France completed a painstaking reproduction of Chauvet Cave, which is where some of the oldest known cave art adorns the stone walls, so that tourists could experience the cave without disturbing it - intentionally or otherwise. The same has been done with the caves at Lascaux, and Altamira in Madrid, Spain.
These replicas, which have faithfully reproduced not only the artwork in the caves but in some cases the general shape and layout of the caves themselves in museum spaces, were actually created for two reasons: foremost for the preservation of the caves and art, but also for the safety of tourists. In years past, many of these sites were mishandled; Lascaux even had air conditioning installed back in the 1980’s. These measures, which catered to the people rather than the artefacts, drastically changed the atmosphere inside the caves. This resulted in the growth of massive mold colonies that released dangerous pathogens in the air, which in turn caused officials to close the real site to the public permanently. Just breathing on such artefacts causes damage, as anyone who’s visited the Louvre Museum in Paris knows well.
That’s not the only way these ancient sites and artefacts are threatened though. When you go on vacation to a tropical locale, have you ever taken a stone from the beach as a souvenir? That’s a somewhat common practise, and in most cases is harmless, but that’s not true of every holiday destination.
CONTINUE READING: www.dailygrail.com/Sacred-Sites/2015/4/Archaeological-Vandalism-One-Stone-Time