who spent money to conserve ancient sites
Answers
Answer:
Explanation:
Some of the most prevalent reasons include political expediency, financial interests, reinterpretation or clarification of previous understandings or written accounts, ancient technology rediscovery for modern applications, national or world heritage and simple human respect.
First and foremost, the biggest reason for preserving archaeological sites is national identity.
For instance, Israel maintains many sites mainly to build a body of evidence supporting their historic claim to rights in the Levant. Much of the Arab world would like nothing more than to disprove accepted Jewish history.
Another reason is the potential for income. Egypt, despite all the current troubles, is trying to convince foreigners that antiquity tourism is alive and well, since it brings in much needed money from the outside. This is especially true now that the U.S. has stopped the majority of aid to the Egyptian military. In this case, the sites pretty much pay for themselves.
Tomb of King Tutankhamun, Valley of the Kings,
For some unfathomable reason, though, during the Arab Spring, when Mubarak had been ousted, there was a concerted effort by fundamental Islmamists to destroy what they could at sites like the Great Pyramids and looting the National Museum. This was counter to what the rebellion was trying to accomplish, and moderate Egyptians acted to guard the antiquities, understanding that this was basically the one thing that was going to provide for their future.
Then there is the hope that future discoveries will provide a better understanding of the past. In this case, sites are preserved to allow for future technologies to glean new data. In the U.S. Some Revolutionary and Civil War sites have been further studied recently with new technology, gaining new insights into the accuracy of the historical accounts. In some cases, troop numbers and marching routes can be determined with magnetic scanning.
There is also the possibility that we may find some technique, process or material that has been lost over time, but is actually capable of modern applications. A very interesting cup from ancient Rome, called the Lycurgus Cup, has the ability to change color in different types of light. Some have speculated that the purpose of this cup was to detect poison. When the process for this was determined, it was adapted to an electronic device that can see chemical compositions. Paints, glass, concrete and other materials found all have the potential for modern applications. The cup itself is not a site, but demonstrates the possibilities for future discoveries.
Lycurgus Cup Red, British Museum.
Lycurgus Cup Green, British Museum.
The biggest problem with archaeological sites is that, if not taken care of, we lose our links to the past. Written accounts and histories are only as accurate as the authors wanted them to be or as they understood the information. For most of our past, there is no written history.
And only until relatively recently has archaeology been concerned with the documenting of our past. Since Giovani Belzoni really started the field of Archaeology, it has mostly been about treasures and fame, a la Indiana Jones. This kind of discipline proved to be more destructive than anything, and prevented the ability to understand circumstances surrounding the objects and locations found.
Heinrich Schliemann, the discoverer of the city of Troy, ravaged the site of any gold and treasure and attempted to sell it to anyone for the right price. While he did document where these pieces were found, his identification of the treasures as belonging to Agamemnon of Trojan War fame was inaccurate and misleading. Only recent re-examination of the site has provided better answers.
Death Mask Of Agamemnon, National Museum,
Sites like Afghanistan's Bamiyan Buddhas, now destroyed by the Taliban as false gods, are world heritage sites, belonging to humanity in general. These deserve preservation simply because they are our heritage and birthright from the past. These were the largest statues of the Buddha on Earth, consider
Bahamian Buddha after
The cave paintings in France and Spain from our most distant past as humans, provide us with insight into what it means to be human. In these cases, the caves have been sealed off because of fungus and deterioration caused by the passage of so many modern people. These sites are considered art museums, worthy of protection just like the Mona Lisa in the Louvre, or any other great painting or sculpture for that matter.
Hall Of The Bulls, Lascaux,