Rescue and Salvage Archaeology

1. SALVAGE ARCHAEOLOGY
• Introduction:
• In simple term, it means rescue operation of past relics of archaeological importance
and irreplaceable monuments of outstanding nature, sculptures, epigraphical records,
antiquarian remains etc.,
• before they vanish or disintegrate due to natural calamities or are threatened by man
made factors like rapid industrialization, urbanization and construction of dams, Hydro-
electrical projects across the rivers for irrigation and power etc.

2. • That is to say that shifting of monuments and other archaeological sites of immense archaeological
importance by way of dismantling part-by-part with proper documentation and carrying them away to
a safer zone with a view to preserve them for posterity.
• Salvage operation in Nubia:
• In 1959, consequent on the decision of building the Aswan Dan in Egypt at the request of the UAR and
Sudan, UNESCO appealed to the nations of the world to initiate a large-scale international action to
save the monuments and archaeological sites of Nubia that would be submerged.
• In his appeal to the world, the Director General, UNESCO has said “these monuments whose loss may
be tragically near do not belong solely to the countries, which hold them in trust. The whole world has
the right to see them and endure”.

3. • In response to the call given by UNESCO, the French archaeologists have taken up the
dismantling and reconstruction of Nubian and Amada temples,
• whereas the Germans carried out the most difficult operation of all, was the project
for saving the two temples (Ramasses – II and Nefertari) at Abu Simbol
• The collossi of Ramasses – II were cut into sections and removed. The collossi of
Ramasses – II were cut into section and remove. .
• The statues and pillar and relief on the ceiling and walls were cut away with saws and
these detached pieces were then attached by iron staples to a concrete frame built on
top of the cliff in the shape of the two original temples.

6. • Salvage operation in India:
• In India and more specifically in Andhra Pradesh, we can proudly declare that a few
years earlier to this creation of international awareness, the prestigious Archaeological
Survey had successfully accomplished the rescue operations of an unprecedented
nature by undertaking a major culture salvage,
• which involved retrieval of buried antiquities and monuments and of their reproduction,
may be said to be the first of the kind, anticipating the work in the Nile Valley on Aswan
Dam.
• It was in 1954 and as a sequel to the proposed construction of the dam near
Nagarjunakonda (Guntur District, A.P.) that this famous archaeological site (once the
capital of Ikshvakus – 3rd – 4th cent. A.D.) was threatened with complete submergence.

8. • With a view to salvaging the archaeological material, large scale excavations were
conducted between 1954-60 by a team of scholars under the guidance of late Dr. R.
Subrahmanyam. The large- scale excavations brought to light cultural assemblage from
Early-Stone Age to Late Medieval period.
• In order to give to posterity an idea of what they look like, nine monuments of gigantic
proportions were reconstructed in their original form and alignment to recapture the
essence of architectural tradition, while fourteen large-scale replicas of excavated ruins
are displayed in the open area on the hilltop.

9. • Again in the recent past, the threat of submergence loomed over a larger number of
archaeological sites, specially standing temples in the Mahaboobnagar and Kurnool
districts of Andhra Pradesh, falling under the Srisailam Hydro-Electrical Project.
• As a result, several ancient temples of architectural merit had to be physically
removed part-by-part and transplanted at safer zones.
• This was ten times larger than Nagarjunakonda and 100 villages flanking on the
riverbanks in Kurnool and Mahaboobnagar districts faced the danger of geographical
extinction.

10. • A High Power Committee constituted for salvaging the cultural heritage of the area under
submergence distributed the work among the various Agencies viz., Archeological Survey of India,
Department of Archeology and Museums, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh, Endowment Department, Govt. of
Andhra Pradesh, Birla Archaeological Research and Cultural Institute and Nagarjuna University (Guntur
Dist., A.P.).
• The Archaeological Survey of India was entrusted with the work of transplantation of Kudavalli
Sangameswara temple (8th – 9th Cent. A.D.) and Papanasi Group of temples (23 Nos.) situated in
Alampur (Alampur Taluq, Mahaboobnagar Dist. A.P.) The Kudavalli Sangemeswara temple was
originally located at the confluence of two rivers the Krishna and Tungabhadra 25 km. away from
Alampur village, whereas the Papanasi group of temples were located on the left bank of Tungabhadra
near Alampur.

12. • The archaeological Survey of India has dismantled the gigantic Kudavalli Sangameswara temples
with meticulously care and stacked the architectural members near Nava Brahma Group of Temples
at Alampur. The same was reconstructed adjacent to the Alampur village by acquiring a suitable land.
• The Papanasi groups of temples were reconstructed away from the site of inundation on a higher
plane in Alampur village.
• Besides the above, there are several places in India where salvage operations of a smaller scale were
conducted by way of detailed exploration and excavations viz.,
• Tapti Valley in District Dhulia Maharashtra); the Chambal Valley in District Mandasor (Madhya
Pradesh), Kasai (Kangsavati) Valley in the Districts Bankura and Purlia (West Bengal) and the Sutlej
Valley in District Bilaspur (Himachal Pradesh). Preliminary work like the extensive explorations in
Bhima Valley Project in district Gulbarga and Karanja valley in District Bidar (Both in Karanataka) have
also been undertaken to salvage cultural assemblages.

13. • Very recently the Salvage Archaeology have been done at the site of Mandi in
Muzaffarnagar, Mahabalipuram, Sanaulli, Sardar Sarovar Dam and Teri Dam.
• Aims and Methods of Protection
• Aims:
• Shri M.N. Deshpande (Former Director General, ASI) in his keynote address
presented at a seminar rightly held that “the monumental and cultural heritage of
a country is no longer considered from the narrow regional point of view, but it is
increasingly reckoned as a heritage of man-kind as a whole, nationally and
internationally”.
• It is therefore a moral responsibility of mankind to preserve and conserve our
heritage for posterity.

14. • Methods of Protection
• This is a separate task calling for much devotion and painstaking field study and
documentation. Since the places would go under water once and for all, every
minutest detail relating to the find spots and associated vestiges must be recorded
fully. The pre-requisites, which ought to be followed meticulously, are as under:
• 1. Extensive exploration of the area threatened with submergence to be
undertaken to study the archaeological potentialities thoroughly, and excavations
carried out wherever necessary to expose and document faithfully the buried
structures/antiquities etc.
• 2. A systematic documentation of the sites/ temples/ loose sculptures/
architectural members and other associated artifacts should be undertaken by way of
photography, detailed drawings like site- plan, orientation plan, ground, sectional and
elevation plans to the scale of a temple and other architectural structures.

15. • 3. A contour map of the related area to be obtained from the authorities
concerned and studied to locate safer zones at higher level to transplant or
reconstruct the temples/archeological edifices of significant importance.
• 4. All the loose sculptures, architectural members, epigraphical records etc.,
should be shifted to be nearby museums for their preservation, study and for public
view.
• Transplantation and reconstruction
• Transplantation
• 1. First and foremost is the selection of the site, which should be located on a
safer and higher elevation than the submerged area.
• 2. As far as possible the site proposed for reconstruction should match the natural
surroundings of the original location.

16. • 3. Detailed documentation i.e. numbering of each and every architectural member or brick of the
structure as the case may be done on each side of the structure indicating the direction (East, West,
North, South) course by course (i.e. E l, W l N l, S l) from bottom to top. It should be followed
simultaneously by drawing and photo documentation in detail in order to avoid any discrepancies in
the numbering
• 4. A sculptural documentation of the entire temple in a systematic manner be done, which would
facilitate reset them as per their original positions.
• 5. Method of dismantling of the temple should be chosen taking into account the dimension of
the temple or structure. If the structure is a gigantic one, it would be more appropriate and suitable
to dismantle the structure by erecting trestles with horizontal girders for movement of electrical
hoists operated by a generator. If the temple is of a smaller dimension, the tradition method like
providing ramps against the walls adopted or pulley blocks, tripods etc. may be employed.

17. • 6. Dismantling should be started from the top most course of the structure using
hay filled gunny bags as insulation to prevent any breakages/damages.
• 7. The dismantled members should be loaded directly on to the transportation
system to be carried straight to the stack yard, arranged close to the reconstructions
site. The stack yard is a systematic arrangement of the dismantled members for easy
identification of the same during reconstruction.
• 8. A responsible person should be kept at the stack yard for unloading the
dismantled members and arranging them in a systematic way.
• 9. Round the clock security and vigil at the stack yard is necessary to prevent any
theft, disturbance and vandalism.

18. • Reconstruction:
• A strong foundation keeping the original orientation should be laid out suitable to
the structure.
• Beginning from the courses of the bottom layers namely the plinth the
reconstruction should be taken up scrupulously following the original plans, photo
and sculptural documentation records prepared at the time of dismantling of both
inside and outside the structure.
• The structure should be constructed to the proper orientation and in alignment. At
every stage measurements should be taken to ensure that the reconstruction is
being done as per the original plan.
•

19. • To facilitate easy and safe reconstruction, mechanical devices (trestles, hoists, cranes
etc.) or traditional methods (ramps, pulley blocks, tripods etc.) may be employed
according to the dimension of the temple.
• The binding material should be same as used in the original construction.
• In recent years, the sites in the coastal areas and those on riverbanks, which have
been submerged as a result in the shift of the sea inwards, and the rivers changing
their courses have also come under the purview of archaeology, in the form of under
water/marine archeology.
• The methods follow are similar to those used on land, but adapted methods as
required under water. They may play a vital role by evolving ways and means to
safeguard protection of monuments engulfed by water.

20. Thank you !