CONSERVATION

One of the functions of the Dept. is to protect the ancient monuments, means any structure, erection or any tumulus or place of interment or any cave, rock, sculpture, inscription or a monolith and which has been in existence for not less than one hundred years, which includes the remains of the ancient monuments, the site of the ancient monuments, and it also protects the archaeological sites and remains, means any area which contains or reasonably believed to contain ruins or relics of historical or archaeological importance which have been in existence for not less than one hundred years. The Dept. has so far protected nearly 500 monuments throughout the State including Hindu, Muslim and Christian. The most significant monuments which were protected especially in the capital city of Hyderabad, is Qutub Shahi tombs, which show the cultural impact of Indo-Persian architecture of 15th- 16th century. The Lakshminarayana Swamy Temple at Kadiri in Anantapur district, is one of the representations of the architecture of Vijayanagara period. The Belum caves in Kurnool district is one of the lengthiest horizontal caves, in the Asia minor.So far, the expedition has been carried out upto an extent of 7 kms. inside the cave. On priority basis, the conservation or the restoration work will be taken up on group wise and District wise to keep it intact. So far, the Dept. has conserved most of the structures at Qutub Shahi tombs in Hyderabad, Ghanpur group of temples, excavated sites at Keesaragutta, Kondapally fort at Kondapally which are few examples.

Qutub Shahi Tombs

Ghanapur group of temples

The norms for taking up a conservation/restoration are as follows:-

Architectural Conservation: During the conservation work, following standards of ethics must be rigorously observed, apart from documentation.

1. Historical evidence must not be destroyed, falsified or removed
2. Any intervention must be the minimum necessary
3. Any intervention must be governed by unserving respect for the aesthetic, historical and physical integrity and cultural property. Intervention practically always involve some loss of a "value" in cultural property. As per principles and rules of conservation, minimum effective conservation is always the best. Seven ascending degrees of intervention can be identified:

1. Prevention of deterioration.
2. Preservation of existing state
3. Consolidation of fabric.
4. Restoration.
5. Rehabilitation.
6. Reproduction.
7. Reconstruction

Restoration: The object of restoration is to revive the original concept or legibility of the object. Restoration and re-integration of details and features occurs frequently and is based upon respect for original material, archaeological evidence, original design and authentic documents. Replacement of missing or decayed parts must integrate harmoniously with the whole, but must be distinguishable on close inspection from the original so that the restoration does not falsify archaeological or historical evidence. In a sense, the cleaning of buildings is also a form of restoration, and the replacement of missing decorative elements is another.
Contributions from all periods must be respected. Any later addition that can be considered as a historic document rather than just a previous restoration must be preserved.
Restoration by anastylosis, using original material is justified when supported by firm archaeological evidence and when it makes a ruin more comprehensible, allowing the spatial volumes to be visualized more easily. If taken too far, it can make a historic site look like a film set and devalue the message of the site.

Reproduction: Reproduction entails copying an extent artefact, often in order to replace some missing or decayed parts, generally decorative to maintain its aesthetic harmony.

Presentation of historic buildings: Before a conservation project is started, its objectives should be defined, then the appropriate presentation policy can be proposed. The objectives may be simply to keep a building 'wing and water tight' to preserve it on the one hand, or on the other hand to present it in its full documentary and historical context to be studied for educational and artistic purposes within the context of cultural tourism. This will mean analysing the values inherent in the building. First, there are the emotional values - wonder, a sense of continuity and identity, then the symbolic and cultural values of art history, aesthetics, architecture, archaeology and the site landscape and townscape.
 

In the forming of presentation policy these values must be respected, but it may be found that there are conflicts between the claims of some of them which can only be resolved by nature judgement and cultural preparation. Such decisions are too important to be made by one man alone. but once the individual guidelines of policy for presentation have been made, they should be rigorously adhered to in order to avoid aesthetic confusion. This is where the advice of art historians and archaeologists and the wide cultural preparation of the conservation architect are so important. He must see. understand and interpret. The presentation should be not to destroy historical or archaeological evidence.

It is essential that consideration of the values in cultural property should be assessed objectively and fairly. There is always a danger that the conservation programme will only reflect the bureaucratic objectives of the Government that is responsible.

Therefore, it is wise to insist that the goals and priorities of the presentation programme are established by an interdisciplinary, inter departmental working group that includes people genuinely interested in all values in cultural property. Their task is to reconcile their purposes as well as the direction of their movement.

When the relative importance of all the values in cultural property has been established then, having examined all the practical alternatives, the 'least had' solution can be found. If the conservation programme goes forward before all the conflicts of competing values have been thoroughly and thoughtfully resolved, there is the risk of destroying for even the full integrity of the historic building and its site. Also, if the conservation programme goes forward prematurely, one will face the probability of time conserving, expensive and professionally embarassing changes having to be made later. We are indeed only trustees for historic buildings.
 

CHEMICAL CONSERVATION.

The antiquities / artefacts which are collected by way of treasure troves and purchases or unearthed through excavations, have to be given preservative for consolidating the objects without further loss or damage, from the atmospheric changes, for which a Chemical Conservation laboratory was established, headed by a Chief Chemist with supporting staff.

This wing will attend to the field work while excavations are going on. This includes chemical cleaning, restoration and preservation. It is also applicable to the monuments, mural paints, stucco decorations, decorative tile works, wooden decorative and stone sculptures by using appropriate chemicals, by cleaning i.e. the removal of age old black moss of hichens, algae and fungus and also vegetation on the protected monuments periodically. In the laboratory, the branch will go on receiving a number of antiquities acquired through explorations, excavations, different sources which are of different material.