#THE ANCIENT MONUMENTS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND REMAINS ACT

[madraslawyers]

இந்திய சட்டங்கள் மற்றும் இந்தியாவில் சட்டப்பூர்வ தீர்வுகள்

இந்தியா வளமான கலாச்சார பாரம்பரியம் கொண்ட பல்வேறு நாடு. இந்திய சட்ட அமைப்பு உலகின் பழமையான சட்ட அமைப்புகளில் ஒன்றாகும், மேலும் இது பல ஆண்டுகளாக உருவாகி வருகிறது. குடிமக்களின் உரிமைகளைப் பாதுகாக்கவும் நீதியை உறுதிப்படுத்தவும் இந்தியாவில் பல்வேறு சட்டங்கள் மற்றும் சட்டப் பரிகாரங்கள் உள்ளன. இந்திய சட்டங்கள் இந்திய சட்ட அமைப்பு இந்தியாவில் வாழ்க்கையின் பல்வேறு அம்சங்களை ஒழுங்குபடுத்துவதற்கும்…

[jasminewalkerauthor]

Deep dives into folklore: stone henge

Stonehenge, the iconic prehistoric monument standing on the Salisbury Plain in England, has captivated the human imagination for centuries. This deep dive essay embarks on an exploration of the folklore surrounding Stonehenge and the myriad theories proposed to unravel the enigmatic origins of this ancient structure.

I. Folklore and Mythic Narratives:

Stonehenge's folklore is rich with mythic narratives that span centuries and cultures. In Arthurian legend, Merlin is said to have transported the stones from Ireland and arranged them as a monument of healing. The Welsh tale of the Giant's Dance attributes the creation of Stonehenge to giants who brought the massive stones from Africa. These folklore elements intertwine with the cultural fabric of the British Isles, weaving a tapestry of fantastical tales around the monument.

II. Astronomical Alignments: A Cosmic Connection

One prevailing theory suggests that Stonehenge served as an astronomical observatory, aligning with celestial events such as the solstices and equinoxes. The configuration of the stones appears to have been deliberately positioned to mark the movements of the sun and moon. This theory posits that Stonehenge was a sophisticated calendar or ceremonial site, reflecting the profound importance of celestial cycles in the spiritual and cultural practices of its builders.

III. Rituals and Ceremonial Functions:

Another theory proposes that Stonehenge functioned as a sacred space for rituals and ceremonies. The alignment of the stones with celestial events may have served a dual purpose, allowing the ancient builders to not only mark time but also create a sacred arena for religious observances. The presence of burial mounds in the vicinity suggests that Stonehenge may have been a site for funerary rituals, honoring ancestors and aligning with the cycles of life and death.

IV. Social and Cultural Hub:

Some scholars propose that Stonehenge served as a social and cultural hub, drawing people from distant regions for communal activities and trade. The sheer effort required to transport the massive stones over long distances suggests a collaborative and organized effort. Stonehenge may have functioned as a meeting place where diverse communities gathered for seasonal festivals, trade exchanges, or important cultural events.

V. Symbolic and Metaphysical Interpretations:

Stonehenge's enduring mystery has also fueled more esoteric and metaphysical interpretations. Some believe that the monument possesses mystical energies, acting as a portal or conduit for spiritual experiences. New Age enthusiasts and modern pagans often visit Stonehenge during significant celestial events, seeking a connection with ancient wisdom or a transcendent experience.

VI. Architectural Ingenuity:

The technological prowess of the ancient builders of Stonehenge remains a subject of fascination. The precision with which the massive stones were quarried, transported, and erected suggests advanced engineering skills. Recent archaeological discoveries, such as the Stonehenge Riverside Project, have shed light on the complexity of the surrounding landscape, indicating a network of features that complemented the monument's function.

Stonehenge, with its colossal stones standing in silent testimony to the mysteries of the past, continues to inspire wonder, speculation, and exploration. The folklore surrounding this ancient monument, intertwined with Arthurian legends and tales of giants, adds a layer of enchantment to its narrative. Meanwhile, the diverse theories about its origins—from astronomical observatory to cultural hub—reflect the enduring quest to unravel the multifaceted significance of Stonehenge in the lives of its builders and in the broader context of human history. As ongoing research and discoveries unfold, Stonehenge remains an archaeological and cultural treasure, inviting us to contemplate the enduring enigma of this iconic site.

[shamandrummer]

168 New Nazca Geoglyphs Discovered

More than 100 new designs discovered in and around Peru's Nazca plain and surrounding areas could bring new information to light about the ancient artworks that have intrigued scientists and visitors for decades. Following two years of field surveys with aerial photos and drones, Peruvian and Japanese researches from Yamagata University reported the discovery of 168 new designs at the Unesco World Heritage site on Peru's southern Pacific coast.

The geoglyphs, huge figures carved into the South American desert, date back more than 2,000 years and depict living creatures, stylized plants and imaginary beings, as well as geometric figures several kilometres long. Jorge Olano, head archaeologist for the Nazca Lines research program, said the newly discovered figures averaged between 2 and 6 meters (6.56 to 19.7ft) in length.

The purpose of the Nazca Lines, which could only be seen from the air, remains a mystery. These new findings, however, are smaller and can be seen from the ground. The figures, iconic vestiges of Peru's rich history, are about a three-hour drive from the capital, Lima. Researchers had already discovered 190 figures in the area since 2004. But the vastness of the terrain they cover has complicated efforts to study and conserve the heritage site.

Yamagata University said the research will be used in artificial intelligence-based surveys to help inform the lines' preservation. Studies from the university in collaboration with Peru's government have helped delineate and protect the area, which is facing threats from urban and economic developments. Some geoglyphs are in danger of being destroyed due to the recent expansion of mining-related workshops in the archaeological park.

Anthropologists, ethnologists, and archaeologists have studied the ancient Nazca culture to try to determine the purpose of the lines and figures. One hypothesis is that the Nazca people created them to be seen by deities in the sky. Another theory is related to astronomy and cosmology, as has been common in monuments of other ancient cultures: the lines were intended to act as a kind of observatory, to point to the places on the distant horizon where the sun and other celestial bodies rose or set at the solstices.

Other theories were that the geometric lines could indicate water flow or irrigation schemes, or be a part of rituals to "summon" water. The spiders, birds, and plants may be fertility symbols. It also has been theorized that the lines could act as an astronomical calendar, as proved by the presence of radial centers aligned along the directions of winter solstice and equinox sunset. Researchers believe that the geoglyphs were the venues of events linked to the agriculture calendar. These also served to strengthen social cohesion among various groups of pilgrims, sharing common ancestors and religious beliefs.

[legalupanishad]

Gyanvapi Mosque Committee Challenges Varanasi Court's ASI Survey Order

This article on 'Gyanvapi Mosque Committee Challenges Varanasi Court's ASI Survey Order' was written by Anukriti Prakash, an intern at Legal Upanishad.

INTRODUCTION

The Gyanvapi Mosque-Kashi Vishwanath Temple dispute is one of India's longest-running religious conflicts. The issue is focused on who owns the land on which the Gyanvapi Mosque exists, with Hindu parties saying that the mosque was constructed on the site of an old Kashi Vishwanath Temple that Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb demolished. The controversy has been the subject of multiple legal disputes, and a recent Varanasi court ruling for an ASI assessment of the site has re-ignited the debate. The Gyanvapi mosque committee has now filed an appeal with the Allahabad High Court, claiming that the survey will breach the mosque's status as a protected monument. The dispute revived an argument in India about religious tolerance and the preservation of cultural heritage. This article is an attempt to analyse the facts, issues and the recent happening in this dispute.

BRIEF FACTS

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which is responsible for managing 22 mosques including the Gyanvapi Masjid in Varanasi, has submitted a petition to the Allahabad High Court. The petition challenges the District Court's verdict of July 21, which ordered an ASI survey of the Mosque Premises (except for Wuzukhana). The Supreme Court ordered that the Varanasi Court's ruling should not be implemented until 5 p.m. on July 26 in order to give the Masjid committee some "breathing time" to seek the High Court. The plea was submitted the next day. A bench consisting of Chief Justice of India D.Y. Chandrachud, Justice J.B. Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra issued the Supreme Court's ruling on July 24. Before its temporary injunction expires on July 26, the ruling asked the High Court Chief Justice to permit a hearing on Masjid's plea. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) notified the three-judge bench during the hearing that it does not plan to conduct any excavations at the Gyanvapi site for at least a week. In contrast, the Varanasi District Court authorized excavation to determine if the 16th-century mosque was constructed on an earlier temple.

CONTENTIONS OF BOTH THE PARTIES

The Hindu groups contend that the old Kashi Vishwanath Temple, which Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb demolished, was located where the Gyanvapi Mosque is now located. They contend that the mosque ought to be taken down and the temple restored. To support this assertion, they have referred to several kinds of historical and archaeological sources and documents. On the other hand, the mosque committee argues that the mosque is a protected monument under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. They argue that the ASI survey would violate the mosque's status as a protected monument and that the survey could damage the mosque's structure. The Varanasi court ordered the ASI survey of the site to determine the truth behind the claims made by the Hindu groups. The mosque committee has challenged this order in the Allahabad High Court, arguing that the survey would violate the mosque's status as a protected monument. The case is still ongoing, and it remains to be seen what the final decision will be.

RECENT EVENTS OF THE GYANVAPI MOSQUE CASE

The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee, which is responsible for managing the Gyanvapi Mosque in Varanasi, moved to the Allahabad High Court to challenge a District Court's verdict that ordered an ASI survey of the mosque premises (except for Wuzukhana). The committee's contention that the District Court's ruling was made without taking into account the mosque's status as a protected monument under the 1958 Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act forms the basis of its petition. The committee has further argued that the District Court lacked the authority to issue such an order. Additionally, the Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee has claimed that the District Court's ruling infringes on their basic right of religion to practice and promote their belief under Article 25 of the Constitution. The committee claims that the ASI survey would violate their right to free exercise of religion and harm the mosque beyond restoration. The committee has also argued that the District Court's order is based on a misinterpretation of the Archaeological Survey of India Act, 1958, and that the District Court had no power to order an ASI survey of the mosque. The Allahabad High Court is currently hearing the case, and the next hearing is scheduled for July 27.

CONCLUSION

The Gyanvapi Mosque dispute has been ongoing for several years. The recent developments in the case have led to a lot of controversy and unrest. The Anjuman Intezamia Masjid Committee's plea in the Allahabad High Court challenges the Varanasi Court's order for an ASI survey of the mosque premises. The committee claims that the poll would violate their right to free exercise of religion and harm the mosque beyond repair. The Allahabad High Court is now hearing the matter, and the next hearing has been scheduled for July 27. The outcome of this case will have far-reaching implications for the country.

REFERENCES

Apurva Vishwanath, "Gyanvapi Mosque case: what the Varanasi court said", Indian Express, 15 September 2022, available at: https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/gyanvapi-mosque-case-what-the-varanasi-court-said-8147303/ (Last Visited: 25 July 2023). “Mosque Committee moves Allahabad HC against Gyanvapi Masjid Survey Order”, DT next, 25 July 2023, available at: https://www.dtnext.in/news/national/mosque-committee-moves-allahabad-hc-against-gyanvapi-masjid-survey-order-726242?infinitescroll=1 (Last Visited: 26 July 2023). “Gyanvapi: ‘ASI survey will create some upheaval in country’: Mosque Committee argues in High Court challenging Varanasi court order”, Live Law, 25 July 2023, available at: https://www.livelaw.in/high-court/allahabad-high-court/allahabad-high-court-gyanvapi-asi-survey-upheaval-country-mosque-committee-argues-varanasi-court-233601#:~:text=ChallengingtheVaranasiCourt’sorder,someupheavalinthecountry. (Last Visited: 26 July 2023). Read the full article

[criminal-lawyers-leadindia]

Is Destroying Historical Monuments A Criminal Offense?

A monument is a specific type of structure that was created with the intention of honoring someone or something; it may also have gained significance to a social group as a It has contributed to people's collective memory or cultural heritage due to its artistic, historical, political, technological, or architectural significance. Megalithic structures such as dolmens and menhirs, some of the first monuments, were erected for religious or burial purposes.

Among the numerous kinds of monuments are statues, memorials for past conflicts, old buildings, and cultural treasures. If the general public cares about the preservation of a monument, it might be added to the list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Many pieces of legislation have been approved. Each State Party to this Convention acknowledges that it is their responsibility to attend to the identification, protection, conservation, presentation, and transmission of the cultural and natural assets, i.e., those places that may be taken into consideration for inclusion on the World Assets List. India has approved the World Heritage Convention of UNESCO.

India's length and breadth are covered in innumerable historical and cultural landmarks. These are of utmost significance to the wealth and power of our country. The tourism industry is flourishing as a result of these sites. Their preservation and protection from harm and devastation of any kind are the main objectives. An "ancient monument" is described by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) as "any construction, erection, monument, tumulus, or place of interment, as well as any cave, rock-sculpture, inscription, or a monolith that has been in place for at least a century and is significant from a historical, archaeological, or artistic standpoint.

Law:             

In accordance with Article 49 of the Indian Constitution, "protection of monuments, sites, and objects of national importance Every monument, location, or item of artistic or historic interest that If something has been determined to be of national importance by or in accordance with a law passed by Parliament, it is protected by the State from spoliation, disfigurement, destruction, removal, disposal, or export as necessary.

The Indian Constitution's Article 51A (g) calls for the preservation and enhancement of the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers, and wildlife, as well as compassion for all living things.

The Prevention of Damage of Public Property Act of 1984 also protects these monuments. India is well known around the world for the extensive legacy of its forebears. Every legacy conveys a unique, lovely story from the past, giving the nation its own personality. Industries, terrorism, vandalism, pollution, land acquisition, agricultural activities, a lack of civic virtue, and building or sewages in the region are some of the threats to the legacy.

The Indian Parliament passed the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act (AMASR Act) in 1958, which establishes rules for safeguarding priceless sculptures, carvings, and other similar artifacts as well as significant historical and archaeological sites and remains. For these offenses, the previous three-month term and fine of Rs 5,000 have been doubled to two years in prison and a maximum fine of Rs one lakh. Those who intentionally damage or deface the monuments will likely be discouraged by this.

The Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, passed in 1972, regulates the export of antiquities and art treasures and outlaws fraud and antiquities smuggling. Values found in India are governed by the 1878 Indian Treasure Trove Act.

India has 40 World Heritage Sites in total, including 32 cultural, 7 natural, and 1 combined site. The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is also in charge of 3,691 other monuments that have been classified as monuments of national significance. By fostering local economies, creating jobs and new businesses, and raising tax revenue for the government, India can protect its cultural and historic resources while also preserving them. The heritage resource needs to be made known to the community and to visitors, and they should be urged to support its preservation.

If the case has been filed in Kolkata, a Criminal Lawyer In Kolkata may be appointed. Likewise, if the case has been filed in Delhi then a Criminal Lawyers In Delhi can be appointed.

Lead India offers a range of information, legal services, and free legal advice to solve the issue. ask a legal question for free online and talk to a lawyer  to receive the best advice in this situation.

SOURCE:-

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Criminal Lawyers In Delhi, Criminal Lawyer In Kolkata, Criminal Lawyer In Delhi.

[leadindia011]

Is Destroying Heritage Monuments a Criminal Offence

The Lok Sabha approved an amendment to the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958. The present three-month sentence and fee of 5,000 rupees for such offenses have been increased to two years in imprisonment and a fine of up to one lakh rupees. Sourace:- https://at.tumblr.com/great-criminal-lawyers/710749908435599360/7vgxwfsz0k7n

https://thelila500.wixsite.com/website/post/is-destroying-heritage-monuments-a-criminal-offence

https://leadindialaw.blogspot.com/2023/03/is-destroying-heritage-monuments.html

https://leadindiablog.wordpress.com/2023/03/03/is-destroying-heritage-monuments-a-criminal-offence/

[gaur9258]

Best Amritsar tourist places

With endless amritsar tourist places, Gobindgarh Fort tops in being the best tourist destination in the city. It was declared a historical monument by the Government of Punjab under The Punjab Ancient and Historical Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remained Act in 1964.

For More Info Visit Us. Website - https://www.fortgobindgarh.com/

Social links. Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/gobindgarhfortasr/ Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/gobindgarhfortasr/

[emiratesviisa]

5 World Heritage Sites in UAE

The phrase UAE conjures up a variety of images in our imaginations. Before burgeoning villages, homes that reach the clouds, expansive beaches, and oil affluence, our reflections must come first. However, the Emirati country, which is not as well-known as its worldly marvels, has another hand. The emirates visa is mandatory to visit the UAE. 

This lovely region has a rich history that predates oil extraction and the current wave of urbanization. There are historical landmarks in the UAE that have withstood the test of time and kept their illustrious past and culture.

Following are the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in UAE:-

1. Al-Ain Oasis

Nothing less than a wonder of the cosmos can be said about Al-Ain Oasis. As you enter this beautiful date grove, you may sound as though you have hiked deep into a tropical forest. The towering palm palms and their enormously intertwined branches weave lovely domes.

More than 147,000 date palm plants are fed by the 3,000-acre oasis. According to various UAE myths, Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al-Nahyan, who founded the UAE, was born in this oasis in the shade of those imposing palm trees.

In the center of the Rub al Khali desert, there is a 4,000-year-old town known as the Al Ain Oasis which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. With a surface area of 1,200 hectares, it is the largest oasis in the nation and one of many in Al Ain that the UN Food and Agricultural Organization has cited for the value of its ecosystems and cultural heritage.

2. Hili Archaeological Park

Just 15 kilometers outside of Al Ain, you can find another UAE historic monument in the form of a sizable archaeological site. The Hili Archaeological Garden site combines a public garden with an archaeological site. The Bronze Age, which lasted from 2500 BCE to 2000 BCE, is when this location first became inhabited. 

The tomb features two entrances and engravings of both people and animals. In the UAE, there is evidence of agricultural activity dating back 5,000 years, including significant prehistoric communities, in Hili Archaeological Park. One of the UAE's UNESCO World Heritage Sites, Hili Archaeological Park, is a kid-friendly area with trees, waterfalls, and a small play area.

The archaeological site includes ancient settlements, tombs, the artificial water channel Falaj, which dates back to the Iron Age, and many other structures. The Great Tomb is a sturdy 12-meter-diameter tower within the site, which is thought to represent Umm al-cemetery. Nar's 

3. Khor Dubai

Khor Dubai, also known as Dubai Creek, is another important site for UAE heritage. It divides Bur Dubai from Deira via a natural seawater entrance into the Arabian Sea. The Ed-Dur Site, which views out over Al Beidha Bay, has been cultivated by a number of cultures, including Obeid, the Bronze Age, Stone Age, Iron Age, and Pre-Islamic eras.

The oldest house of worship in the United Arab Emirates is the Al Bidya Mosque, which was built in 1446 and continues to act as a spiritual hub today. Khor Dubai is one of the United Arab Emirates' tentative UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Deira and Bur Dubai are separated by a 14 km natural ocean water entrance from the Arabian Gulf.

Khor Dubai divides Dubai into the two neighborhoods of Deira and Bur Dubai. Dubai is significant to the regional economy. Khor Dubai and its surrounding communities are well renowned as a location of major cultural and commercial exchange. The Sabkha in Abu Dhabi is a magnificent salt flat that is home to numerous little shoals, beaches, streams, safe lagoons, and sediments, as well as an inner region of intertidal flats.

The list keeps on because the UAE has a vast and rich history. The Emirati nation continues to preserve the remains of a beautiful history in secret locations, and it will reveal its treasure trove to those who adhere to the original purpose of travel. The customary wind-tower homes on the creek's banks also exhibit a distinctive architectural tradition. Khor Dubai is a strong candidate to be considered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to all of these factors.

4. Sharjah, the Gate to the Trucial States

The Gate to the Trucial States in Sharjah also serves as a gateway to the past. The Sharjah administration has made great efforts to preserve the region's historic structures. 

It includes the historic air station, the harbor, and the residences that are now home to the Mahratta Museum. The Emirate, in contrast, has a strong Antiquities and Heritage Act that protects historic sites, which increases its appeal as a potential UNESCO World Heritage site.

Ancient writers and travelers, such as the 11th-century geographer Al Edrissy, reference Sharjah in their writings. It served as both the main center of the pearl trade and the entrance to the Trucial States. The community serves as a model for new urban growth in older towns.

5. Jebel Hafeet Tombs

Since all of the Emirati Bronze Age artifacts have been preserved, the Jebel Hafeet Tombs and the Hili Archaeological Park are nearly identical. The site, which still held remnants of a 5000-year-old past, could be found at the base of Jebel Hafeet Peak. The Jebel Hafeet graves in the city indicate the beginning of the Bronze Age, and the decorative vessels and copper artifacts discovered there point to the existence of a thriving civilization.

Many more sites in the UAE are awaiting designation as "world heritage sites." Any of the renowned future heritage sites including The Umm an-Nar Island town and cemetery, which is close to Abu Dhabi, is proof of the Emiratis' visionary desire to establish a Bronze Age society. Sir Bu Nair Island is a Neoproterozoic salt deposit island, as the name implies.

Despite having a beehive shape, the Jebel Hafeet Tombs, which signal the start of the Bronze Age in the UAE, are highly distinctive. Although the site is locked, it is still possible to see Jebel Hafeet Mountain's canyons.

Conclusion

Like the majority of other Arab nations, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has witnessed the growth of human civilization over a period of several thousand years with emirates visa online. The UAE is made up of a dry desert with some peculiar geological features, historical landmarks, and magnificent buildings from antiquity. These regions of the planet that appear to be desolate have many secrets. Visitors will have an amazing time exploring the aforementioned historical sites and world heritage sites. You will be able to recognize and admire the magnificence of the nation's culture despite its numerous hardships by applying for an emirates visa UK.

[kartiksingh17]

Maintenance of ancient monuments and archaeological sites and remains of national importance is the prime concern of the ASI. Besides it regulate all archaeological activities in the country as per the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958. It also regulates Antiquities and Art Treasure Act, 1972.⠀

[tlatollotl]

Coe, Michael D.

Michael D. Coe, a retired Yale professor and one of the leading figures in Mesoamerican archaeology, died Wednesday at age 90. Born on May 14, 1929 in New York City, he attended Fay School and St. Paul's School before entering Harvard, graduating in the class of 1950. He served with the Central Intelligence Agency in Taiwan, where he fell in love with Chinese food. However, he decided that his true interest lay in archaeology, and he returned to Harvard to pursue a PhD. In a physical anthropology class, he met Sophie Dobzhansky, daughter of a noted geneticist, and they married in 1955. They produced five children, his sons Nicholas, Andrew, and Peter, and his daughters Sarah and Natalie. After teaching for two years at the University of Tennessee, he was given the post of assistant professor at Yale's Department of Anthropology. He and Sophie purchased a house on St. Ronan Street, which became his home until he died. He rose to full professor, acted as chairman of the department during the turbulent years on the 1960s and 1970s, and was also a curator of the Peabody Museum of Natural History. He taught thousands of students, his courses ranging from Anthro 1 and the cultures of Native America to the translation of Mayan hieroglyphs. He remained close to many of his students, who themselves became noted experts in the study of the ancient New World. His research interests were wide, and he possessed boundless curiosity and enthusiasm. He excavated sites in Guatemala and Veracruz, Mexico, unearthing Olmec colossal heads and other monuments that illuminated the earliest cultures of Mesoamerica. He and his wife Sophie made important contributions to the effort that finally broke the code of Mayan hieroglyphic writing. They purchased a farm in Heath, Massachusetts, and soon he was excavating a nearby French and Indian War fort. He became an avid fly fisherman, traveling around the world with his sons and fishing buddies. He took great pride in an exhibition on the history of fly fishing that he curated for the Peabody. He wrote well over a dozen books, covering topics such as Mexico and the Maya, ancient Khmer civilization, and his own life and career. After Sophie was diagnosed with cancer, he completed the book that she had started, called "The True History of Chocolate." He was writing and communicating with colleagues right up to the day he entered the hospital. In addition to his children, he is survived by six grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Millicent Library, 45 Center St., Fairhaven, MA. A memorial service will be announced at a later date.Published in The New Haven Register on Sept. 29, 2019

[dranupamkumarmishra]

THE ANCIENT MONUMENTS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND REMAINS ACT, 1958 NO.24 OF 1958 [28th August, 1958]

THE ANCIENT MONUMENTS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND REMAINS ACT, 1958 NO.24 OF 1958 [28th August, 1958]

THE ANCIENT MONUMENTS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES AND REMAINS ACT, 1958 NO.24 OF 1958 [28th August, 1958] An Act to provide for the preservation of ancient and historical monuments and archaeological site and remains of national importance, for the regulation of archaeological excavations and for the protection of sculptures, carvings and other like objects. Contents PRELIMINARY 1 Short title, extent…

[travelling-around-this-world]

JORDAN 🇯🇴

Strange, haunting beauty and a sense of timelessness. Dotted with the ruins of empires once great, it is the last resort of yesterday in the world of tomorrow. 

— The late King Hussein

One of the most beautiful countries I've ever seen. Why? Because of people. Jordan people really made my trip here.

Now I'm gonna give you some tips for visiting Jordan in 9 days.

- do not use public transports (they don't work properly); better to go around with a driver or rent a car (as we did: we payed 200JD for 8 days)

- atm can be found easily everywhere

- remember always to have water with you (first of all in the hot season) and something to cover your shulders/head.

- people are super kind and I've always trusted them. Don't be shy and get to know locals! ☺️

Day 1 - Amman

We arrived in Amman and we went immediately sleeping, as it was 4AM. The day after, we woke up and went directly visiting the city.

What to see:

1) CITADEL

The area known as the Citadel sits on the highest hill in Amman, Jebel Al Qala’a (about 850m above sea level), and is the site of ancient Rabbath-Ammon. Occupied since the Bronze Age, it's surrounded by a 1700m-long wall, which was rebuilt many times during the Bronze and Iron Ages, as well as the Roman, Byzantine and Umayyad periods. There's plenty to see, but the Citadel's most striking sights are the Temple of Hercules and the Ummayad Palace.

2) ROMAN THEATRE

This magnificently restored theatre is the most obvious and impressive remnant of Roman Philadelphia, and is the highlight of Amman for most foreign visitors. The theatre itself is cut into the northern side of a hill, and has a seating capacity of 6000. The best time for photographs is the morning, when the light is soft – although the views from the top tiers just before sunset are also superb.

3) SUQ

Bustling markets and souqs brimming with treasured lamps and magic carpets have long been a rather stereotypical, largely orientalist image associated with the ‘Eastern World’. In reality, that Middle East mall culture is where its at, but in recent years a number of very innovative and groundbreaking markets have also cropped up in and around Amman. Just walk inside them, feel the atmosphere and all the smells around.

4) KING ABDULLAH MOSQUE

Completed in 1989 as a memorial by the late King Hussein to his grandfather, this blue-domed landmark can house up to 7000 worshippers, with a further 3000 in the courtyard. There is also a small women’s section for 500 worshippers and a much smaller royal enclosure. The cavernous, octagonal prayer hall is capped by a magnificent blue dome 35m in diameter, decorated with Quranic inscriptions. This is the only mosque in Amman that openly welcomes non-Muslim visitors.

Where to eat

- Al Quds

We'll happily vote for this tiny, spotlessly clean place on Rainbow St as one of the best falafel spots in Amman. Tasty sandwiches (with tomato and pickles) have been served up fast for more than 50 years, but watch out for lunchtime queues when the office workers descend.

And for have some drinks go to La Calle, one of the few proper drinking holes on Rainbow St, La Calle has a couple of decent-sized bar areas, and a small but breezy terrace on the 3rd floor that's great for cooling off with a glass of wine or a chilled bottle of local Carakale ale.

We slept at Olive Hotel, very cheap and located in the city center.

Day 2 - Jerash & Mount Nebo

From Amman you can easily get a car and drive to Jerash. It should take 1 hour but it depends a lot on the traffic.

The ruined city of Jerash is Jordan's largest and most interesting Roman site, and a major tourist drawcard. Its imposing ceremonial gates, colonnaded avenues, temples and theatres all speak to the time when this was an important imperial centre. Even the most casual fan of archaeology will enjoy a half-day at the site – but take a hat and sunscreen in the warmer months, as the exposed ruins can be very hot to explore.

From there we drove South to Mount Nebo.

MOUNT NEBO is where Moses is said to have seen the Promised Land, a land he was himself forbidden to enter. It's believed that he died aged 120 and was later buried in the area, although the exact location of the burial site is the subject of conjecture.

After hiking on Mount Nebo, we drove to Madaba where we slept for two nights.

MADABA, 33 km (20 miles) south of Amman, is known as The City of Mosaics where underneath almost every house lies a fine Byzantine mosaic, with its long history dating back further than 1300 BC. Here we visited the biggest mosaic center of the world.

Best restaurant: Adonis

Best hotel: Grand Hotel Madaba - staff is super friendly and helped us a lot!

Day 3- Azraq and the East Desert

Stretching east of Amman, the parched desert plain rolls on to Iraq and Saudi Arabia. This is a place where endless sand and barren basalt landscapes give proof to man’s ability to thrive under harsh conditions. The discovery of flint hand-axes in this desert indicates that Paleolithic settlers inhabited the region around half a million years ago. But the most remarkable remains of human habitation are the palaces built by the Damascus-based Umayyad caliphs during the early days of Islam (seventh-eighth centuries CE). During the height of the Umayyad dynasty, architecture flourished with the cultural exchange that accompanied growing trade routes. By 750 CE, when the Umayyad dynasty was overthrown by the Abbasids of Baghdad, a richly characteristic Muslim architecture was evolving, owing considerably to the cosmopolitan influence of builders and craftsmen drawn from Egypt, Mesopotamia and elsewhere throughout the region.

Today it is possible to see many relics of the early and medieval Islamic periods in Jordan. Dotted throughout the steppe-like terrain of eastern Jordan and the central hills are numerous historic ruins, including castles, forts, towers, baths, caravan inns and fortified palaces. Known collectively as the desert castles or desert palaces, they were originally part of a chain stretching from north of Damascus down to Khirbet al-Mafjar, near Ariha (or Jericho).

There are various theories about the purpose of the desert palaces, yet the lack of a defensive architectural design suggests that most were built as recreational retreats. The early Arab rulers' love of the desert led them to build or take over these castles, which appear to have been surrounded by artificial oases with fruit, vegetables and animals for hunting. Other theories suggest that they came to the desert to avoid epidemics which plagued the big cities, or to maintain links with their fellow Bedouin, the bedrock of their power.

Most of the desert castles can be visited over the course of a day in a loop from Amman via Azraq. The following description details a road trip taking the northern route from Amman to Azraq and the southern highway on the return trip.

What to see:

- Qsar Al-Azraq

- Azraq natural reserve

- Qusayr Amra

- Qasr Kharana

Day 4- Wadi Mujib and the Dead Sea

From Madaba we started driving south, direction Dead Sea.

A spectacular natural wonder the Dead Sea is perfect for religious tourism and fun in the sun with the family. With its mix of beach living and religious history you can soak up the sun while Biblical scholars can get their daily dose of religious history. The leading attraction at the Dead Sea is the warm, soothing, super salty water itself – some ten times saltier than sea water, and rich in chloride salts of magnesium, sodium, potassium, bromine and several others. The unusually warm, incredibly buoyant and mineral-rich waters have attracted visitors since ancient times, including King Herod the Great and the beautiful Egyptian Queen, Cleopatra. All of whom have luxuriated in the Dead Sea's rich, black, stimulating mud and floated effortlessly on their backs while soaking up the water's healthy minerals along with the gently diffused rays of the Jordanian sun.

First stop was the Dead Sea Panoramic Complex, for an amazing view on the Dead Sea. Them we drove to the Wadi Mujib Adventure Center. This is a must-do in your trip! A beautiful adventure in the Canyon 😍

After this 2-hours adventure we started driving south on the Kings Highway, stopping by a couple of castles:

- Karak castle

- Shobak castle

Day 5- Petra

Undoubtedly the most famous attraction in Jordan is the Nabatean city of Petra, nestled away in the mountains south of the Dead Sea. Petra, which means "stone" in Greek, is perhaps the most spectacular ancient city remaining in the modern world, and certainly a must-see for visitors to Jordan and the Middle East. The city was the capital of the Nabateans -Arabs who dominated the lands of Jordan during pre-Roman times- and they carved this wonderland of temples, tombs and elaborate buildings out of solid rock. Every year thousands of people flock to one of the main places to visit in Petra, the monasteries excavated in rock. In two days you can enjoy the 15 kilometer long route. To begin, it would be nice for you to see the main Petra attractions: the Visitor Center, the Via Sacra or Al-Khaznez. The architectural beauty is priceless, for it has been featured in many films, as might be Indiana Jones. Ad-Deir Monastery offers a spectacular view and is one of the most famous monuments and attractions in Petra. An area and 800 steps separate you from this natural treasure. The Theatre of the Nabataeans acts as a chameleon in the desert, carved directly into the rock. Other stuff to do in Petra includes visiting the Altar of Sacrifice, one of the best viewpoints that can be enjoyed throughout the country. Between monument and monument, you'll be transported through the Avenue of the columns, a very busy road with a series of Doric columns that look like decorated stone. It's one of the most charming things to see in Petra. Finally, here at Minube we encourage you to complement these Petra activities by visiting the Royal Tombs. They're visible from anywhere in the area. Certainly, Petra could be part of the seven wonders of the world, since many people request information about the many places to see in Petra. Go and find out for yourself!

Tickets for one day cost 50JD; for 2 days is 55JD. As it's huge, better to get the 2-days-tickets!

Restaurants: Red Cave (beduin meals) and Beit Al Barakah

We stayed at Al Rashid hotel that is located in the very city center.

Day 6- Petra

As Petra is huge, we visited the city for 2 days. In the afternoon we took the car and drove to Aqaba.

Day 7/8 - Aqaba

In summer here the weather is really, really hot! Too hot 😥 it's difficult to walk around and do things. You absolutely need to stay at the beach for cooling down.

We stayed at Aqaba Adventure Center. It's a sort of hostel with a pool, and it's a diving center too. It's 10km from Aqaba, but with the car was perfect to go and back.

Aqaba is Jordan's only Red Sea resort and port city which is warm, sunny, inviting, and has a dazzling undersea world of some of the most spectacular coral reefs to be found anywhere else, located 332 km (206 miles) south of Amman. For relaxation, water sports, and winter warmth, Aqaba is warm, sunny and inviting, fringed with palm trees, lapped by the crystal clear waters of the Gulf of Aqaba, cooled by a steady northerly breeze, and ringed by mountains that change in color with the change of the hours. Snorkeling, water skiing, wind surfing, para-sailing, fishing and a variety of other water sports, including unsurpassed scuba diving are just some of the popular activities to partake in. It's very turistico and not like the other places we visited in Jordan, but it worths for relax and snorkeling 🌊🦐🦀🐠🐙🐡

Best restaurants: Ali Baba Restaurant and Captain's restaurant (for fish)

You can find also places that serve alcool here (we really love the staff at Buffalo Wings!)

Day 9 - Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is everything you’d expect of a quintessential desert: it is extreme in summer heat and winter cold; it is violent and moody as the sun slices through chiselled siqs (canyons) at dawn or melts the division between rock and sand at dusk; it is exacting on the Bedouin who live in it and vengeful on those who ignore its dangers. For most visitors, on half- or full-day trips from Aqaba or Petra, Wadi Rum offers one of the easiest and safest glimpses of the desert in the region. For the lucky few who can afford a day or two in their itinerary to sleep over at one of the desert camps, it can be an unforgettable way of stripping the soul back to basics.

We stayed at Beduin Lifestyle Camp and we are really satisfied of this beautiful experience. We had a 4 hours tour on the Jeep during the afternoon, where we could see all the most beautiful places in the Wadi Rum. We watched the sunset drinking tea with our Beduin friend and then we slept in a Beduin camp. In the evening we had dinner with them and played music together, dancing. We slept in a very small tent, but it was clean and comfi. The day after we took the camel for going back to the village.

Day 10 - back to Amman

400km back to Amman, a long drive before flying back home.

Special memories to those people we met during this wild adventure:

- Mohammad (met in a shop in Amman)

- the small child and his dad offering us tea in Azraq

- Abdullah (the beduin near Azraq)

- Marta and Niccoló, who did Canyoning with us

- Maria and Bernart, the two Spanish guys who hiked with us in Petra

- Saker, the Jordan guy met in sport bar in Petra who gave us camel milk

- Steffi and JoJo, the two German girls from Munich

- Harm, the musician Beduin who cooked tea for us in the Wadi Rum

Thanks to my travelmates who came with me during this amazing adventure...

[solowingsin]

Katarmal is known for a relatively rare Surya temple, constructed by the Katyuri Kings in the 9th century CE. Katarmalla, a Katyuri king constructed this temple, which has 44 smaller temples around the main deity of Surya, which called as Burhadita or Vraddhaditya. Other deities like Shiva-Parvathi and Lakshmi-Narayana are also established in this temple complex. The carved wooden doors and panels were transported to the National Museum, Delhi, after an idol from the 10th century was stolen. The temple, which holds other carvings on walls and panels, was declared a monument of national importance under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act of 1958. . . One of the oldest temples of India, this is a very nice place to take pictures. This temple is located very near to Kosi river, so you can have riverside fun also. Above all, the view from the temple is breathtaking. 😊😊 . . . #travel #nature #photography #love #photooftheday #instagood #picoftheday #solotravel #landscape #music #follow #night #fashion #instagram #travelphotography #adventure #wanderlust #travelgram #roadtrip #manali #traveller #uttrakhand #himalaya #mountains #beautifulfaces #beautiful #almora #solowings #solo (at Katarmal Surya Mandir) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0sNkNnnnVR/?igshid=wo8r1k4sbass

[almostarchaeology]

Archaeotrolling the Wall

By Adrián Maldonado

There’s been a lot of commentary over the weekend on the effect of two years of the Trump presidency. One overlooked aspect of this is the surprising amount of archaeology-related activism that has arisen over the same period. From peer-reviewed takedowns of populism to fact-checking Trump’s theory of ‘wheels and walls’, archaeology has become one of the most consistent methods used to troll Trump.

The most interesting part about this is that it is not only archaeologists who are archaeotrolling Trump. The best example of this is the way journalists have begun reading up on the famous border walls of history. They have not done so of their own volition, of course, but because of Trump’s repeated misuse of ancient monuments to lend justification to one of his signature campaign promises. It is one of the most obvious ways in which archaeology is being dragged into current events, and thus deserves comment as ‘pop culture’ archaeology.

Trump’s argument for the wall has increasingly relied on citing historical walls, both specific (the Great Wall of China) and nonspecific (“medieval”), as precedent. It is the kind of ‘common sense’ argument that sounds legit as long as you don’t think about it. In response, several news sources have found themselves rushing to slap together short pieces on famous historical walls (usually just the ‘big three’: Great Wall, Hadrian’s, and Berlin), in which some light Wikipedia research is dressed up as fact-checking. But even a cursory reading of past border walls quickly allows journalists to troll Trump’s intentions. Archaeology is powerful this way.

Famous walls of history

Notably, several scholars of archaeology, anthropology and history have also taken part in this trend, whether by being cited in these pieces, or having original pieces published in news outlets. Denigrating Trump’s Wall using facts and a long-term perspective is now a whole subgenre of political commentary and is allowing archaeology to take centre-stage in matters of global import.

However, it should also be clear by now that the combined heft of these pieces have not remotely dissuaded Trump or his base from believing that the Wall is a good idea. So this subgenre of journalism is due a bit of source criticism. Here follows a preliminary, non-scientific survey of online news and commentary on ‘famous walls of history’ in light of the Trump Wall.

I am choosing here to divide the genre into two groups – those led by journalists (including some with academic credentials, but whose main output is through an online periodical) and those led by academics (whether in a blog or periodical). This is to roughly distinguish between public archaeology (in which experts share knowledge for public benefit), and the reception of archaeology by the public (in this case, journalists).

Journalist-led

History via Google search (source)

Much of this work consists of little more than going through the ‘big three’ in turn, conflating three very different times and places in the assumption that a wall is a wall.

Why Trump’s comparison of his wall to the Great Wall of China makes no sense 

8 March 2016 – early in 2016, when Trump was by no means the frontrunner in the Republican primaries, he began making outlandish comparisons between his wall and the Great Wall of China. In response, Michelle Ye Hee Lee put together a fact-checking piece for the Washington Post highlighting some unsavoury aspects of the famous world wonder. “Labor conditions were so appalling that some 400,000 people are estimated to have died building the wall…through most of Chinese history, the wall was a negative symbol of oppression, cruelty and death…the wall as a symbol of strength and resourcefulness is a part of the myth and misconception of its true history.”

The walls before Trump’s Wall

11 December 2016 – long read by Thomas de Monchaux (design and architecture critic) for the New Yorker. Shows he’s accessed good scholarship on Hadrian’s Wall, pointing out all the ways its design shows it was not meant as a hard border. Concludes with some incisive archaeotrolling: “some distant Anglo-American memory of [Hadrian’s Wall] may help to explain the political power behind the idea of a wall—even as theories suggest that this wall’s purpose may have been very different, perhaps directly opposite, from that of the wall evoked by our President-elect.”

How Trump’s Wall compares to other famous walls

25 January 2017 – Cheap rundown of the ‘big three’ for BBC Newsbeat, featuring embarrassing graphics about which is the longest and the tallest with barely hidden phallic undertones, which I’m sure Trump would actually retweet.

Trump’s Wall vs the Great Wall of China, Hadrian’s Wall and the Berlin Wall

29 January 2017 – off-the-shelf roundup of the ‘big three’ again for a history news blog, including howlers like “Hadrian’s Wall was built as a defensive measure to keep out nomadic tribes, in this instance the Picts of Scotland”. (Fact-check: Scotland did not have ‘nomadic tribes’, nor was the wall built as a defensive measure against nomadism, nor did the Picts exist in the second century.)

The history of walls is long. Here’s where Donald Trump fits in

30 January 2017 – Time correspondent Olivia B. Waxman provides a very hazy history of no specific ancient walls, but does better in modern times. Notes that walls attract and bind communities of their own, as seen in the afterlife of the Berlin Wall. Sadly ends on the facile lesson that walls are some kind of inevitable social logic: “one thing is certain: walls are not going anywhere…it’s an impulse that’s only human.”

What can Scotland teach Donald Trump about walls?

2 Feb 2017 – featuring yours truly. I was approached by a reporter during this wave of wall histories for a lighthearted feature on BBC Scotland. The focus was on the lesser-known Antonine Wall, and marks its only appearance in this list. Abandoned by the Romans after little more than a generation, “The Antonine Wall is the epitome of a symbolic victory.”

The (anthropological) truth about walls

7 February 2017 – In a post for the Anthropology in Practice blog on Scientific American, Krystal D’Acosta uses a few ancient walls, but mostly Hadrian’s Wall, to troll Trump’s vision of a wall as a hard border. “As a concept, the idea of a wall suggests permanence, security and identity. Physical boundaries help define people by establishing a shared experience of place and time. But this is a very simplistic view of national barricades. It overlooks the ways in which these monuments function as sites of exchange, and the ways in which they generate their own experience of identity and place.” Negative points for, again, mistakenly making the Picts into Hadrian’s antagonists.

The fears that fueled an ancient border wall

26 April 2017 – decent history of Hadrian’s Wall by Carly Silver for the Smithsonian, with Trump slotted in as the lede. Featuring guest appearance by wallchaeologist Rob Collins, but despite expert advice still manages to make the mistake that Hadrian was fighting the Picts, who, again, did not exist yet. Valuable observation that it was fear, not strength, which fueled Hadrian.

What walls mean from Hadrian to Trump

2 May 2017 – another flying survey of walls through time from the BBC, but does well to cover the modern wall-mania sweeping the world beyond Trump. “Of course, walls remain practically rather useless barriers, rendered increasingly obsolete by new technologies like drones. Yet they clearly retain their psychological value as demarcations of a dream of purity, keeping out all those threats to self-identity.”

Building walls may have allowed civilization to flourish

5 October 2018 – National Geographic featured this interview with David Frye, author of Walls: A History of Civilization in Blood and Brick. Judging solely from this summary, it is clear the author equates wall-building with ‘civilization’, splitting peoples into ‘wallers’ and everyone else, denigrating those who didn’t build empires as the uncultured losers of history. In doing so, he ends up parroting the propaganda of emperors and autocrats through time.

via GIPHY

Academic-led

Undergirding all the above commentary were the archaeologists and anthropologists who have weighed in, producing new pieces rather than waiting to be approached by journalists. Notable here is how early these voices began to weigh in, many well before Trump was elected president. Here in the ‘expert’ column I am including early career and student voices which have joined the fray.

How Trump’s Wall would trample hundreds of archaeological sites

21 March 2016 – One of the first to enter the field was public archaeologist Kristina Killgrove in her widely-read Forbes column. Here she drew attention to the violence the Wall would perpetrate upon indigenous heritage, a symbol of the ethnocentric agenda that embodied the Trump campaign.

The Wall: a monument to the nation-state

17 April 2016 – Maximilian Forte, Professor, Sociology and Anthropology, Concordia University, for his Zero Anthropology blog – the densest academic tone of the pieces reviewed here, a rebuke against those that rail against Trump's 'fascism' while ignoring the forces of globalisation and neoliberalism that brought us to Trump. Some alarming rhetoric about 'globalists' and George Soros, though, and the 'Let’s watch and see' conclusion certainly did not age well.

Hole(s) in the wall: Trump’s implausible solution to the problem of immigration

22 July 2016 - Rosemary Mitchell, Professor of Victorian Studies at Leeds Trinity University, punctures the myth that Hadrian’s Wall separated civilisation from barbaricum, but in fact acted as an “economic magnet for people and goods”, similar to the way the actual southern border in America currently acts. Negative points, and I can’t believe I have to say this again, because the wall is said to border onto the Picts, which, how many times can I say this, did not exist for the first two centuries in the life of Hadrian’s Wall.

For five millennia, politicians have proposed walls like Trump’s. They don’t work

29 July 2016 – Adam T. Smith, Professor of Anthropology at Cornell University, takes us straight back to Mesopotamia for some top-notch fact-based archaeotrolling, where “walls were spectacular failures…Barrier walls are not simply clumsy, imprecise solutions to problems of population movement, past and present; they also represent a catastrophic failure of political imagination endemic to totalitarian thinking.”

Archaeology in Trump’s America: borders, immigration, and revolutionary remembering

10 November 2016 – a fiery call to action from PhD candidate Patricia Markert, published on Binghamton University’s public archaeology blog, just days after the election in 2016. “Contemporary archaeology of the border opens spaces to critically engage those who fear undocumented migration in new conversations that include real people rather than abstract villains, foster empathy rather than hate, and lead to constructive conversations about immigration policy in our country…Trump’s discourse is one of forgetting, and a dangerous one at that. Archaeology is a discipline of remembering, and that may be one of the most revolutionary tools we have for the fight ahead.”

Trump, Brexit and the archaeology of exclusion

10 November 2016 – across the Atlantic, PhD candidate Cait Scott also submitted her take on the catastrophic politics of 2016 for her blog Archaeology Stories right after Trump’s election. Linking Trump’s unsubtle wall with Brexit’s conceptual walling off of Britain from Europe, she notes their symbolism is directed inward. “Imagined safety, though, is a seductive idea; the election of Trump and the Brexit referendum results demonstrate its power. The manipulation and misuse of immigration narratives by politicians legitimises and reinforces the desire in everyday people for this imagined safety.”

The Trump Wall in archaeological perspective

14 November 2016 – An archaeological volley written soon after the election in November 2016. Howard Williams, Professor of Archaeology at the University of Chester, argues that we can use history to understand Trump’s Wall, but we can also use Trump to help us understand archaeology. Extra credit for introducing the early medieval Offa’s Dyke, which rarely makes it into the discussion but may be one of the closest archaeological parallels to Trump’s Wall. “Was Offa’s hegemonic project incomplete or subverted once it was realised just how unsustainable it was as an enduring frontier work?” One of the few blogs cited here that has crossed over into academic literature, cited by Gardner in his archaeological reflections on Brexit.

Clovis anthropologist challenges Trump’s Wall

7 April 2017 - Manuel Peña, in an editorial for the Fresno Bee, argues that we forget the past when we wall it off. "I happen to be a descendant of the colonists who first settled the Texas side of the river. We did not immigrate to this country: it migrated to us… the promotion of the wall is at base a symptom of the historical amnesia that defines a surging neo-nativist ideology. Besides denying the diverse origins of our nation, this nativism is of a piece with the ethnocentric/racial intolerance that rages through several European countries at this moment."

How walls like Trump’s destroy the past and threaten the future

24 October 2017 - Andrew Roddick, Associate Professor of Anthropology, McMaster University submitted a post on The Conversation on the problems that come with walls throughout history. Archaeological perspective advises us “to carefully think about the material impact of fear and xenophobia…anthropologists and archaeologists working with contemporary migration issues demonstrate that the costs of such walls can have long-term unintended consequences, including an increase in violence and insecurity.”

Crossing between the Great Wall of China and the ‘Great’ Trump Wall

14 November 2017 – the only journal publication I’ll mention here as it is open access. Mimi Yang, Professor of Modern Languages and Asian Studies at Carthage College goes far beyond the usual explainer about the Great Wall of China, producing a meditation on the fundamental difference between the Great Wall as the violent establishment of a new empire, and Trump’s Wall as the dying cough of an imperial era. “The Trump Wall has its foundation cemented on fear, bigotry, and above all, fundamental intolerance for difference.”

How do the walls around the world function differently?

2 December 2018 – This is a student blog submitted as part of coursework for ANTH 100 at Vassar College, but credit for being one of the few to discuss the anthropology of modern walls. “Hungary and Slovenia are two countries with the region’s largest expanse of fences. …It is revealed that people living near these barriers often find that they serve little purpose and can be psychologically damaging.”

Hadrian’s Wall, education and the heritage presenced in US ‘security’ and immigration policy

5 December 2018 - A short case study by Chiara Bonacchi, Lecturer in Heritage at Stirling University. This snippet text-mines 1000 tweets mentioning Trump and Hadrian’s Wall, showing that the public forges links between them, even if only as defensive barriers and not as “places of encounter” as wallchaeologists might prefer. Notably, these tweets often refer to Brexit as well. “It is a wall that divides, but also connects regions and peoples who are experiencing populist nationalism today… it remains a powerful but contested image and heritage site, of great resonance in today’s world.”

Trump says medieval walls worked. They didn’t

10 January 2019 - In late 2018, Trump began mentioning nonspecific ‘medieval’ walls as proof that walls always work, prompting medievalists to enter the fray. Matthew Gabriele, Professor of Medieval Studies at Virginia Tech went straight to one of America’s leading newspapers. “[C]alling the proposed 700 to 1,200 mile border wall ‘medieval’ is deeply misleading because walls in the actual European Middle Ages simply did not work the way Trump apparently thinks they did. If anything, their true function may speak to Trump’s intentions: Poor tools of defense, medieval walls had more to do with reassuring those who lived inside them than with dividing self from other.”

The Wall isn’t medieval

11 January 2019 – Gabriele was soon joined by David Perry for CNN, reinforcing the point that Trump’s use of the term medieval is not just lazy, but shows how wall-logic appeals to those with the least historical awareness, and along the way, gets in some exquisite fact-based burns. “[T]he wall won’t work – not because it’s a throwback to imagined medieval barbarism, but because it’s a con.”

What works, and what doesn’t

It is clear from the above charts that the academic-led responses largely preceded the journalists’ interests, and have carried on continuously, responding dynamically as Trump shifts his narrative. It shows that archaeologists and anthropologists are actively fulfilling their responsibility for public education. In comparison, journalists really began to take interest when it was too late, in response to one of Trump’s first acts as president, the Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements executive order which formally directed the government to seek funding and design proposals for a physical barrier along the southern border.

And while this survey begins in 2016, archaeologists and anthropologists have been trolling the impulse to build border walls for years. For instance, on this very blog, I wrote an exasperated piece bemoaning the abuses of Hadrian’s Wall in the run-up to the Scottish independence referendum of 2014, as did Britain’s eminent wallchaeologist, Richard Hingley, for The Conversation. Long before 2014, the work of Laura McAtackney and many others around the Belfast ‘Peace Walls’ has shown the value of recording the human effects of walling people from one another in real time.

On the other side of the Atlantic, archaeotrolling the Border Wall takes us much further back to its first major fortification (fencification?) during the xenophobic Cheney presidency. No discussion of archaeotrolling is complete without mention of Jason de León’s Undocumented Migration Project, with its devastating revelations of the violence perpetrated by fortifying borders. Similarly, the Migrant Quilt Project materialises the human costs of a fortified border, promoting cooperation and understanding. David Taylor’s photography has documented the border’s transformation from imaginary line to irrational severing of living communities since 2007.

All these projects put the focus squarely on the people and communities terrorised by the Wall, but also their continued resistance to it. As activist archaeologist Randall McGuire put it in 2013, the wall unintentionally “enables agency that the builders did not imagine or desire, and crossers continually create new ways to transgress the barrier.”

‘Walled In’ by John Cuneo (source)

So what hasn’t worked? It is clear that despite decades of archaeotrolling border walls, dating back to the days when Trump was known only as a walking reminder of failed 80s economic policies, the urge to build them has not abated, and has in fact increased. Despite demonstrating “A Wall Is an Impractical, Expensive, and Ineffective Border Plan” way back in November 2016, here we are, still debating it two years into the Trump era.

The problem lies with walls’ own brutal physicality. We can academically deconstruct these ancient walls all we want, but we are at the same time always told that they are wonders to be marvelled at. The way they remain standing after millennia gives them an obviousness that is blinding. Their recurring role in history makes them seem inevitable, as several of the pieces listed here concluded. And even those with the best intentions, even a fair few of the experts listed above, are hoodwinked by the mythical quality of the stories that grow up around these walls – like the notion that Hadrian’s Wall was ever seen as the end of the Roman Empire, and that it was put up against Pictish aggression, when it would be more accurate to say that Roman frontier policies created the Picts.

In his Myth of Nations, Geary called ethnic nationalism the 'poison' of modern history, but these famous walls seem to exude the same venom. Border walls are the toxic waste of empire, spread around the globe by short-sighted regimes with no regard for the future, which continue to poison us and cloud our view of the foibles of the human past by their stubborn monumentality. If Trump gets his wall, it will not only be his legacy, but all of ours. Don’t pollute the future with another one.

***

Follow us on @AlmostArch 

The title image is not my creation, but an unwitting self-parody by the president himself; I’d rather not link to his Twitter account, so read this instead.

[lalmohanpatnaik]

The Barabati Fort Case

The case of The Universe versus Government of Orissa is the ‘Barabati Fort Case’. It dealt with how after independence no serious effort was made by the Union government as well as State government to preserve the historic structure notified as an ancient monument in 1915.

The case was significant as it for the first time raised questions like – how the Government or local authority could ignore the historical importance of such an ancient fort – and how could the government interfere with the archaeological site’s character and destroy its more important features.

Barabati Fort was for almost eight centuries the seat of most sovereign powers who ruled Orissa. The case singular if its kind (till date) also highlighted the out-and-out necessity to preserve the Fort, the gateway, the moat in its entirety along with the historic constructions within the Fort and removal of unauthorised constructions and buildings. But for cynics the case may be of little interest as for them no gainful purpose would be served by preserving these places in the interests of historical factors.

The Universe, a private organisation involved in promotion of culture moved the Orissa High Court after a road was created by filling up a portion of the moat on the western side of the fort area on February 8, 1994. Attempts were also then being made to reclaim the area covered by the moat and its surroundings.

The high court issued an interim order restraining putting up of new constructions and from filling up the Gadakhai (moat) which runs to 2.5 kms and encircles the 102 acres fort area on July 8, 1994. I was then a Senior Correspondent of Sun Times, published by Eastern Media Limited from Bhubaneswar.

Records say Barabati Fort was declared a protected monument under the Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1904. The relevant portion of the notification issued related to it on March 22, 1915 reads thus: “…. The ancient monuments of Barabati Fortress and the ruins and remains of all ancient edifices, walls, gateways, etc, save excepting the Mosque at Barabati situated in Mauza Cuttack Cantonment Khasmahal, Parganna Cuttack, Havili, Thana Cuttack, bearing Touzi no 5458, in Cuttack district……”.

The State Legislature enacted the Orissa Ancient Monuments Preservation Act, 1956 with the object of preservation of ancient monuments and objects of archaeological, historical or artistic interests in the State of Orissa. Then came the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958.

Nonetheless, Barabati Fort ruins were ignored for decades altogether. It’s no wonder that a Stadia and an indoor stadium was constructed, occupying the entire southern part of the fort area. Both constructions were promoted by the Council of Sports under the State Sports and Youth Affairs department. Understandably, the state authorities did not give any attention to the importance of preserving the history and its heritage and to preserve the monument and protect it.

Prior to this the entire northern part of the fort was occupied by official quarters of government officials and the Cuttack Club which had come up in the 1890s.

The Chief Secretary had called a meeting on April 23, 1989 and on that day a decision was taken regarding steps to be taken to protect and preserve the monument.  The relevant portion of the decisions reads thus: “It was the consensus that Barabati Fort area should be kept as a park and be so converted in a phased manner over a period of time. The existing quarters inside the Fort area should be pulled down in course of time A multi storied building may be constructed to accommodate Government officials on a plot of land now vacant in Cantonment Road. In view of the historical importance of the Barabati Fort, Chief Secretary desired that all necessary steps should be taken to protect its remains. He directed for stoppage of plying of heavy vehicles through the main entrance gate as it affects the life and stability of the gate”.

The road was created by filling up a portion of the moat without giving any justification to closing up the moat or disturbing its continuance or reclaiming the area.  It connected Cantonment Road with Tulsipur through the Fort. It was also not known which authority permitted the creating of the road by filling up a portion of the moat. 

The Barabati Fort case dragged on in the High Court for nearly nine years. A two-judge bench of Chief Justice P Balasubramanyan and Justice P Mohanty gave judgement in the case on March 7, 2003. I was then The Statesman’s Staff Reporter based in Cuttack.

By then the situation had gone from bad to worse. The high court in its judgment said: “The fact that this Court had to be approached for preserving the cultural heritage of the State famous for its art, culture and history, is a sad commentary on the state of affairs obtaining in the State. It is more disturbing to see that in spite of the filing of the writ petition in the year 1994 and receiving of notice therein, absolutely no steps have been taken by the State government or District Collector or the Archaeological Department to rectify the situation. That a State like Orissa could permit a destruction of its historical traditions and monuments shows how, we as a State, have failed posterity to whom we owe an obligation to preserve the ancient traditions and historical monuments. The fact that this Court has interfered now, we hope, would make the State alive to its responsibilities”.

On the road constructed by filling up the moat the high court said: “That a State like Orissa with its great culture and hoary traditions could indulge in such activities can only be described as painful”.

In the judgment the high court ordered for immediate restoration of the moat fully to its original condition with continuity right through and without obstruction within three months.

“It is not very clear why a road should be provided through the monument and adjacent to a historical ruin, a construction that survives as a great monument of the engineering skill of ancient India. Even if it is considered that a road is necessary, it should be made causing no obstruction to the excavation of the original site. Certainly, no road could be laid by closing a portion of the moat or by filling up a portion of the moat. In other words, if the authorities take the view that it is absolutely necessary to have a road they should construct a high over-bridge over the moat, after restoring the moat”, the high court observed.

Protection and preservation of Barabati Fort as a national monument, preventing putting up of any constructions within the notified area and to remove all the structures and buildings not required for the preservation of the monument was also ordered by the high court.

Now after eighteen years the Barabati Fort case is lost in time. Nevertheless, the hope kindled by the high court judgment for an arch bridge over a restored moat with free-flowing water and boating facilities for tourists continues.

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Fair Price shop and Services by way of admission to a protected monument charged with NIL rate of Tax

As per Notification no. 47/2017-Central Tax(Rate) following services shall be charged with Nil rate of tax with effect from 15th November 2017.

Service provided by Fair Price Shops to Central Government, State Government or Union territory by way of sale of food grains, kerosene, sugar, edible oil, etc. under Public Distribution System against consideration in the form of commission or margin

Services by way of admission to a protected monument so declared under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act 1958 (24 of 1958) or any of the State Acts, for the time being in force

NOTIFICATION NO. 47/2017-CENTRAL TAX (RATE), DATED 14-11-2017

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 11 of the Central Goods and Services Tax Act, 2017 (12 of 2017), the Central Government, on being satisfied that it is necessary in the public interest so to do, on the recommendations of the Council, hereby makes the following further amendments in the notification of the Government of India, in the Ministry of Finance (Department of Revenue), No.12/2017- Central Tax (Rate), dated the 28th June, 2017, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide number G.S.R. 691(E), dated the 28th June, 2017, namely:—

In the said notification, in the Table, —

(

a

)against serial number 11A, for the entry in column (3), the following entry shall be substituted namely:—

“Service provided by Fair Price Shops to Central Government, State Government or Union territory by way of sale of food grains, kerosene, sugar, edible oil, etc. under Public Distribution System against consideration in the form of commission or margin.”;

(

b

)the serial number 11B and the entries relating thereto, shall be omitted;

(

c

)after serial number 79 and the entries relating thereto, the following serial number and entries shall be inserted namely:—

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