Virtual Archaeology1

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MSc. Thesis

TAXILA INSTITUTE OF ASIAN CIVILIZATIONS

Muhammad Bin Naveed

MSc. 4th

VIRTUAL ARCHAEOLOGYDigital Reconstruction ofBadalpur Monastery Complex inTaxila

Acknowledgements

My parents have been immensely supportive, doubly so after seeing myexcitement and enthusiasm and I am glad that they too couldappreciate where my passions are.

My friends have also been extremely supportive and enthusiastic as mostof them had no clue about the v astness of our history and it was anenergizing experience to be able to open their minds to it.

But no amount of thanks can cover the support and inspiration I have

received from the TIAC family, because it is here that I first learned of thedepth and scope of study in the field of archaeology in Pakistan and forthat I will always be grateful.

Statement of Problem

Curren tly there ex ists little to no dig ita lly arc hiv ed data on thearchaeological sitesof Pakistan.

There are numerous sites within the country requiring not just physicalattentionin theform of conservationbut also digital attentionin theformof complete documentationincorporating surveys, architectural drawingsanddetailed3D models of the existing sites which range from Ancient toHistorical times.

We risk losing a vast amount of our heritage in the absence of proper procedures to safeguard them using any means and technologynecessary and the digital age provides us with various tools to achievethis.

Hypothesis

There isa need to createa repository ordatabaseof archaeological sitesin a digital formatand it isurgent as the sites of archaeological interest in Pakistan are fast disappearing due to a number ofreasons

These shouldbe documented anddigitally safeguardedon war footing in order to keep them safefor coming generations, current scholars andalso thosescholarsin thecountryand abroad whowishto studythese sites butdo nothave easyaccessto themdue to varioussocio-politicalreasons.

My thesis wil l focus on the site of Badalpur in Taxila that is currently being investigated under theleadership of the Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations’ director Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ashraf Khan inorder to provide a proof of concept of theidea of virtual archaeology and how it can safeguardsites thatare otherwisein danger of disappearing.

Scope of Work

Thework willfocus on TheBadalpurMonasteryComplexin Taxila

Itwillincludea surveyof thesite.

After thesurveya digital representationof thesite willbe created.

Thiswil l then beusedto createa 3Dmodel ofthe siteas itexiststoday using the levelsanddetails inthesurvey.

The model w il l be geo-located using software to the exact GPS coord inates of the s ite to give usgeographicaldetails suchas northdirection,longitude, latitudeand sundirection.

Afterthis process therewillbe anattempt to “reconstruct” or “reimagine” thesiteas itexistedin itsheyday

andreferences will be takenfrom whereverthey areavailablein order to give it themost complete andauthenticlook possible.

Introduction to Virtual Archaeology

A process which virtually visualizes and preserves objects and buildings which are otherwise gone, in a poor stateof conservation or are in danger of disappearing.

Not just visualizi ng heritage in a virtual environment but also v irtual excavations to preplan the process ofexcavating on site.

Archaeologists are using computers to recreate the environment and conditions of thepast, including objects,bui ldings, and landscapes with human actors, such as ancient battles. The f ield is a natural evolution ofarchaeologyin thedigital age.

Althoughfirstproposed nearly25 yearsago,it isonlyrecentlythatcertainguidelines andrules fortheprocesshavebeenimplemented namelyvia theLondon Charter,created in 2006

The technology is thesame as that used in video games andmovie special effects, andmany universities haverecently added3D modeling programs.

There is always a danger of mistaking the process of virtualizat ion as a non-serious or “fun” way to approachcultural heritagepreservation andthe creationof suchcharters leads tothe assurancethatpeople takingpartintheprocess do notshirk theirresponsibilitiesas researchersand professionals.


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Case Studies VIRTUAL ARCHAEOLOGY

DudleyCastle,

England

ARGUABLY THE 1ST DIGITALRECONSTRUCTION PROJECT

• Reconstruction of Dudley Castle, 1994, by Royal Appointment was

arguably the first use of virtual archaeology.• Dudley Castle lies in the heart of The Black Country, in the West Midlands,

England.

• During the middle of the 16th Century John Dudley Duke ofNorthumberland commissioned the build of a range within the castle bySir Will iam Sharrington.

• This was the palatial home of John Dudley who was at the time one of themost powerful men in England. Indeed upon the death of Edward theSixth (son of Henry the Eighth) it was Dudley who had the throne devisedto his cousin Lady Jane Grey.

• The reign lasted only days before Mary Tudor became Queen Mary theFirst. John Dudley and Lady Jane Grey were beheaded in the Tower ofLondon.

Existing View

Reconstructed View

http://www.exrenda.net/dudley/index.

Existing View

Reconstructed View


Existing View

Reconstructed View



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Existing View

Reconstructed View


Existing View

Reconstructed View


Existing View

Reconstructed View


Laconia AcropolisVirtualArchaeology

http://lava.cs.st-andrews.ac.

Methodology of Work at LAVA

One of the biggest challenges for students studying archaeology is getting fieldwork experience, a challenge that has been recognized internationally by a number ofgovernmentsand higher education bodies.

The opportunities for students to gain real-world fieldwork experience are limited,therefore it is advantageous to be able to uti lize computer technologies to providerealistic virtual fieldwork scenariosthat canboth complement andenhance real-world

activities.

The aim of LAVA is not to replace real world fieldwork, but rather to provide realistics imulat ions that allow students to better prepare for any involvement with a realexcavation.

These objectives have been achieved through the combination of a 3D game engine,2D mapsand a group-based learning environment

http://lava.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk/

http://lava.cs.st-andrews.ac.

The LAVA project coordinates the development anddeployment of a number of software resourceswhich

a llow groups of s tudents to part ic ipate in computer simulationsof the planning,executionand reporting ofarchaeologicalfieldwork projects.

S tudent 's learning exper iences are enhanced by

a llowing part ic ipat ion in rea list ic, exper ient ial andcollaborativelearning.

Thefollowing methodsare usedto enhance thework

Scenario ResourceThe scenario resource provides a number of typicalexcavationscenariosfor studentsto workthrough.Excavation SimulatorThe excavation s imulator p rovides a rea list ic and

engaging setting to allow students to review an entireexcavation s ite and the material culture conta inedwithinit.Research Framework Comprehensive guidance is p rovided to s tudents

through an assoc iated pro ject web s ite, a llowinglearners to build up an understanding of the workingpract ices and research methods they wil l need to

employ in orderto successfully manage an excavationproject.

Groupware ToolsTools used for allowing easy collaboration betweenworkgroups


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Publications by LAVA

The following documents have been published as part of the work carried out by the LAVA Project. A Computer Games Approach To Exploratory Learning - Lava: A Case Study in System Design. Getchell, K, Nicoll,

J, Kerbey, C, Miller, A, Allison, C, Sweetman, R, Complin, J, M ichaelson, R. In: Proc. INSTICC 3rd InternationalConference on Web Information Systems and Technologies, Barcelona, Spain. 2007.

Evaluating Exploratory Learning in LAVA. Getchell, K, Nicoll, J, Kerbey, C, M iller, A, Allison, C, Sweetman, R,Michaelson, R. In: Proc. IASTED Web-based Education 2007, Chamonix, France. 2007.

Generating 3D Multiplayer Game Maps from 2D Architectural Plans. Summers, E, Getchell, K, Miller, A, Allison, C.In: Proc. 8th International Postgraduate Symposium on the Convergence of Telecommunications, Networking andBroadcasting, Liverpool John MooresUniversity, UK . 2007. [

The LAVA Project: A Service Based Approach to Supporting Exploratory Learning. Getchell, K, Miller, A, Colin, A,Kerbey, C, Hardy, R, Sweetman, R, Crook, V, Com plin, J. In: Proc. IADIS International Conference WWW/Internet,Murcia, Spain. 2006.

Real Time Mixed Reality in Virtual Environments. Sturgeon, T, Miller, A, Getchell, K, Allison, C. In: Proc. InternationalPostgraduate Symposium on the Conv ergence of Telecommunications, Networking and Broadcasting, LiverpoolJohn MooresUni versity. 2006.

Games Methodologies and Immersive Environments for Virtual Fieldwork Sweetman, R., Getchell, K., Nicoll, J.,Allison, C., Miller, A. submitted to "IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies"

http://lava.cs.st-andrews.ac.uk/

Rome Reborn RECONSTRUCTION OF ROME

http://romereborn.frischerconsulting.c

What is Rome Reborn

Rome Reborn is an international initiative whose goal is the creation of 3D digital modelsillustrating the urban development of ancient Rome from the first settlement in the lateBronze Age (ca. 1000 B.C.) to the depopulat ion of the city in the early Middle Ages (ca.

A.D. 550).

The Rome Reborn team intends to move both backwards and forwards in time until theentire span of time foreseen by our mission has been covered.

Since 1997, the Virtual World Heritage Laboratory of the University of Virginia (VWHL), t heUCLA Experiential Technology Center (ETC), the Reverse Engineering Lab at thePolitecnico di Milano, the Ausonius Institute of the CNRS and the University of Bordeaux,and the University of Caen have collaborated on a project to create a digit al model ofancient Rome as it appeared in late antiquity.

Source : http://romereborn.frischerconsulting.

Source : http://romereborn.frischerconsulting.c

An aerial view of the city center seenfrom the east. Visible are the TiberRiver, Circus Maximus, Palatine, and

Colosseum.


A typical street scene. Shops areon the first floor of apartmentbuildings. In the background areseen the arches of an acqueduct.


Aqueducts supplied Rome with cleanwater brought from sources far fromthe city. In this view, we see anaqueduct carried on piers passing

through a built-up neighborhood.


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A typical view along the banks of theTiber River between the Aventine andTranstiberim near the Pons Probi.

An aerial view over the Tiber Island.The Circus Maximus is seen in thedistance. At the south end of theisland is seen the sanctuary ofAsclepius. Linking the island to the cityare two bridges, which still are in usetoday: the Pons Fabricius and the PonsCestius.



Rome had many small private bathingestablishments. Starting with the reignof Augustus, impressive public bathswere built in various neighborhoods of

the city. These were more than placesto wash but were lavishly decoratedwith opus sectile on the floors andwalls, sculpture, and they offered arange of cultural and athletic facilities.

In this image, we see the Baths ofTrajan on the Oppian Hill opposite theFlavian Amphitheater.


The Circus Maximus housed the track usedfor chariot races. Closely associated withthe founding of the city (the legendary"Rape of the Sabine Women" took placehere), the complex was rebuilt manytimes.In this image we see the circus, theimperial palace on the adjacent Palatine

Hill, and the Septizodium.

The Colossus of the Sun. This statue,

made of bronze, was originallyerected as a portrait of Nero in thevestibule of his palace, the DomusAurea ("Golden House"). WhenHadrian built the Temple of Venus andRome over the vestibule, he orderedthe statue moved to this spot next tothe amphitheater.


A view of the Arch ofSeptimius Severus nextto the Rostra on thewestern end of theRoman Forum. The arch

was erected in 203 ADin honor of Severus'victories over theParthians and forrestoring order to thestate after the chaosresulting from theassassination ofCommodus in 192 AD.



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The Flavian amphitheater ("Colosseum") hadfour levels above ground for the seating and thearena. Below the arena was a subterraneanlevel where animals used in the hunts werepenned. A tunnel linked the amphitheater to thenearby Ludus Magnus, where the gladiatorslived and trained; another tunnel was reserved

for the use of the emperor and his entourage sothat they could have secure entrance and exitinto the building. Atop the Colosseum was the

velarium, or awning, which protected thespectators from the sun.


An aerial view of the FlavianAmphitheater ("Colosseum") seenfrom the south. The amphitheater wasstarted by Vespasian and dedicatedunder his son, Titus. It was used to

stage gladiatorial games, animalhunts, and the execution of prisoners.The structure could hold up to 50,000spectators, whose seating reflectedtheir social status.

Purpose of the Project

The primary purpose of this phase of the project was to spatialize and

present information and theories about how the city looked at thismoment in time, which was more or less the height of its development asthe capital of the Roman Empire.

The knowledge we have about the city has been used to reconstructdigitally how its topography, urban infrastructure (streets, bridges,aqueducts, walls, etc.), and individual buildings and monuments mighthave looked.

The model is thus a representation of the state of our knowledge (and,implicitly, of our ignorance) about the urban topography of ancient Romeat various periods of time. Source : http://romereborn.frischerconsulting.

Papers Published Regarding Rome

Reborn

Frischer, Bernard, forthcoming. " "Cultural and Digital Memory: Case Studies from theVirtual World Heritage Laboratory," in Memoria Romana, edited by G. Karl Galinsky,Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome

Taylor-Nelms, Lee, Lynne Kvapil, John Fillwalk, Bernard Frischer, forthcoming." "Investigating the Effectiveness of Problem-Based Learning in 3D Virtual Worlds. A

Preliminary Report on the Digital Hadrian's Villa Project," Proceedings of the 2012Conference of Computing Applications to Archaeology, Southampton, UK, 26-29March 2012.

Frischer, Bernard, John Fillwalk, forthcoming. " "The Digital Hadrian's Villa Project.Using Virtual Worlds to Control Suspected Solar Alignments," forthcoming in

Proceedings of the Annual Conference of The International Society for VirtualSystems and Multimedia 2012.

Dylla, Kimberly, Bernard Frischer et al., 2010. "Rome Reborn 2.0: A Case Study ofVirtual City Reconstruction Using Procedural Modeling Techniques," in CAA 2009.

Making History Interactive. 37th Proceedings of the CAA Conference March 22-26, 2009, Williamsburg, Virginia(Archaeopress: Oxford, 2010) 62-66.

Wells, Sarah, Bernard Frischer, et al., 2010. "Rome Reborn in Google Earth," in CAA 2009. Making History Interactive. 37th Proceedings of the CAA Conference March

22-26, 2009, Williamsburg, Virginia (Archaeopress: Oxford, 2010) 373-379. Frischer, B.,2008. "The Rome Reborn Project. How Technology is helping us to studyhistory," OpEd, November 10, 2008. University of Virginia.

Frischer, B. and P. Stinson, 2007. "The Importance of Scientific Authentication and aFormal Visual Language in Virtual Models of Archaeological Sites: The Case of the

House of Augustus and Villa of the Mysteries," in Interpreting The Past: Heritage, NewTechnologies and Local Development. Proceed ings of the Conference on

Authenticity, Intellectual Integrity and Sustainable Development of the Public

Presentation of Archaeological and Historical Sit es and Landscapes, Ghent, East-Flanders, 11-13 September 2002. Flemish Heritage Institute, EnameCenter for PublicArchaeology and Heritage Presentation. 2007, Brussels, Belgium.

Frischer, B., 2006. "New Directions for Cultural Virtual Reality: A Global Strategy forArchiving, Serving, and Exhibiting 3D Computer Models of Cultural He ritage Sites,"in Proceedings of the Conference, Virtual Retrospect 2005 (Bordeaux), 168-175.

Frischer, B., D. Abernat hy, F.C. Giuliani, R. Scott, H. Ziemssen, 2006. "A New Digital

Model of the Roman Forum," in "Imaging Ancient Rome. Documentation-Visualization-Imagination," edited by LotharHaselbergerand JohnHumphrey, Journal of Roman Archaeology, Supplementary Series 61, 163-182. Notavailable online.

Guidi, G., B. Frischer, et al., 2005. "Virtualizing Ancient Rome: 3D Acquisition andModeling of a Large Plaster-of-Paris Model of Imperial Rome," Videometrics VIII,

edited by J.-Angelo Beraldin, SabryF. El-Hakim, Armin Gruen, James S. Walton, 18-20January 2005, San Jose, California, USA, SPIE, vol. 5665, 119-133.

Frischer, B., 2005. "The Digital Roman Forum Project: Remediating the Traditions ofRoman Topography," in Acts of the 2nd Italy-United States Workshop, Rome, Italy,November 3-5, 2003, Berkeley, USA, May, 2005 edited by M. Forte, BAR International

Series 1379 (Oxford 2005) 9-21.

Media Coverage of Rome Reborn

News Papers

"MesmerizingVideo Tours AncientRome -in 3D,"TorontoStar,March13, 2012.

"JessicaHughes Interviews BernardFrischer ,"ClassicsConfidential, October 6, 2011

"AncientRome Rebornin 3-D,"Nat ionalGeographic News,October28, 2010

"Gerry Bayne Interviews BernardFrischer," EDUCAUSE,January25, 2010

"'Earth' to Westboro anational winner,"WorcesterTelegram&Gazette (Massachusetts), Mar. 17, 2009.

"ExploringAncient Rome WithGoogle Earth," EducationWeek, Mar. 17, 2009.

"Miramonte technology coordinator wins Google contest,"Contra Costa Times, Mar. 16, 2009.

FedericoFerrazza, "Fortissimamente Google," Espresso, Feb.17, 2009.

ComputerGraphics World, December2008, "History intheMaking".

"ComputerModel of AncientRome Offers Tripto the Past,"

Reprinted fromNews ForYou, Volume 55, Number31; bypermission fromNew Readers Press, a Divisionof ProLiteracy

Worldwide. Allrights reserved.

"AncientRome comes back to life onGoogle Earth," TheSaudiGazette, 14November2008.

"Whennot inRome... Simply logonto Google," DailyMail, 13November2008.

"Rome Reborn," Quo, July2007 (inChinese).

"Columbiano ," Medellin, Columbia, 24June 2007.

DalMaso, Cinzia, 2003. "IncontriRavvicinati delTerzo Tipo: eL'ultimaNovita dell' Antichita," Venerdi, 14March 2003, 89-91.

Murr, Andrew, 2003. "CaesarSleptHere,"Newsweek, 3February2003, 51.

Sullivan, Meg, 2003. "DigitalLab Reclaims Cultural HeritageSites," UCLA Today, 25February 2003, 8.

Lubell, Sam, 2002. "Virtually Rebuilt, aRuin Yields Secrets,"TheNewYork Times, 2May2002, E6.

Otani, Izumi, 2002. "AddingNew Depthto Archaeology,"ItalyDaily, 29-30June 2002.

Gordon, Dan, 2002. "Rome Reborn," UCLA Magazine, 54.

2002. "HetColosseumHerBouwd."

SerJeant, Jill, 1999. "RebuildingAncient Rome forallto Surf itOne Day,"NationalPost.

Patton, Phil, 1998. "Public Eye,"New York Times.

Smith, Godfrey, 1998. "Whenin Rome Make itLook Real,"TheSundayTimes, 19April1998.

Davis, Ben, 1997. "The Future of the Past," Scientific American,August 1997, 89.

Ierano, Giorgio, 1997. " InvisitaaiForivirtualiconla macchinadeltempo ," Panorama, 23January 1997, 96.

Larner, Monica, 1997. "Forthe AppianWay, Hit Command-A,"Business Week, edited byOtis Port, 14 April1997, 107.

Liverani, Paolo, 1997. "A spassoperl'Urbe colPC."

Televison

HampdenTeacherWins Award from Google, WABI (CBS)

HampdenTeacherWins Google CurriculumContest, WLBZ(NBC), alsopicked up byNBC affiliate inPortland, ME

Google Winner, WVII (ABC/FOX)

Online Magazines

"Google Earth: Tiefflugueberdas antikeRom,"byPetra Pluwatsch,Frankfurter Rundschau, Jan.6,2009

VirtualTripping, 30November 2008

01net.,14 November 2008

Wired,14 November 2008

Inside Higher Ed,14November 2007

Ascribe,14 November 2007

Hot Hardware,13 November 2008

Welt Online,13 November 2008

The NationalBusiness Review New Zealand,13November 2008

AssociatedPress, 13November 2008

The Hindu,13 November 2008

ABCNews, 13November 2008

The Age,13 November 2008

The Register,13 November 2008

Times of India,13 November 2008

Guardian.CO.UK, 13November 2008

GoodMorning SiliconValley, CA,13 November2008

Brisbane Times, Australia,13November 2008

BBC News,12 November 2008

The New York Times, 12November 2008

Times Online,12November 2008

CNETNews, 12November 2008

NOS,12 November 2008

OGLE Earth,12 November 2008

Google EarthBlog,12 November 2008

RaiNews24,12November 2008

BBC,12 November 2008

Washington Post,12November 2008

InformationWeek,12 November 2008

Guardian.CO.UK, 12November 2008

YouTube, 12November 2008

C-Ville Weekly,19 October 2007

LondonTimes, 3October 2007

ARCHITECTMagazine,1 October 2007

LaStampa, 26September 2007

Smithsonian Magazine,July 2007

Die Presse,19 June 2007

Bookyards,18 June 2007

Computer Science Teacher,18 June 2007

Krone,18 June 2007

Dragon's Eye,15 June 2007

The Lede,New York Times,15, June 2007

People of the Book,15 June 2007

VisualThoughts, 15June 2007

Wired,14, June 2007

RP Online,13 June 2007

SpiegelOnline, 13June 2007

TelekomPresse, 13June 2007

YouTube, 13June 2007

BBCNews, 12June 2007

DailyMail,12 June 2007

News for Medievalists,12 June 2007

Panorama, 12June 2007

Rainews24, 12June 2007

EdTechSolutions -Teaching Every Student,11June 2007

KleineZeitung, 11June 2007

Reuters,11 June 2007

Science Daily,11June 2007

USA Today,11 June 2007

UVA Today,11 June 2007

VERITASet VENUSTAS,11 June 2007

Vorarlberg,11June 2007

WorldScience, 11June 2007

Media Coverage of Rome Reborn


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Virtual SirkapA MULTI USER VIRTUAL

ENVIRONMENT

What Is Virtual Sirkap

The project was undertaken as a way to apply 21st century technologies to ancient sites and Sirkapwas taken as a test site for this purpose. The excavated portion of Sirkap was chosen to be modeled.

However due to unavailability of updated information the only source for the team was the work ofJohn Marshall. They were unable to visi t the city or have access to m ore recent research.

The team consisted of the following individuals

Daniel Michon Professor, Project Advisor, Claremont McKenna College

Yehuda Kalay Professor, Project Advisor, The Technion, Israel Institute of Technology

Ahmed El Antably UC Berkeley, Project Manager

Pinar Aybar UC Berkeley, 3D Artist, SirkapWebsite Design & Programming

SeungwanHong UC Berkeley, 3D Artist & Avatar Animati on

Ginette Wessel UC Berkeley, 3D Artist

A software which utilizes MUVEs or M ulti User Virtual Environment was merged with the architectural3D model to create a video game like scenario where a person could use a virtual avatar and move

around the recreated city. 36 Although it is not an absolutely accurate representation of Sirkap at 100CE, it is nonetheless a proof of

concept of what can be achi eved using this technology.

Personal Work

Taxila

The region of Taxila is one of the richest archaeological hubs of NorthernPakistan and owes this toits vast history dat ing to the 6th century BCE, wheremention of thesite is found in theinscriptionsof the Achaemenidkings Dariusand h is son Cyrus . I t was a province of t he P ersian Empire at t he t ime andprovidedtroops andmateriel to theforces of the Empire.After this period theregion became one of themost prominent centers of the Gandhara culture,being significantly expanded following the developments that Asoka broughtto theregion afterhis conversionto Buddhism.

The area has seen near constant habitation seen antiquity and has alwaysremained a hub of activity whether it is commercial, military or otherwise andhashenceseen a widearrayof developmentof everykind.

TheKushanrulehas been considered a goldenagein thehistoryof this region.The Kushans were a tribe that migrated to Gandhara around thefirst centuryAD from Central Asiaand Afghanistan.The tribe selected Peshawar as its seatof power andlater expanded east into theheartland of India to establish theKushanEmpire,whichlasted untilthe thirdcenturyAD. (Naeem)


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REASONS FOR STONE USE IN GANDHARA

Buddhism became the rallying cry for the people of India and its ideals were of such a powerful nature that wood,with its perishable nature,could not properly embody andimpart to the coming generationsthe eternalnature of thephilosophy behind Buddhism.

Hence somethingmore solid was needed and indeed it was stone that was seen as the most adequatematerial in which to carve and create monuments to the new faith ina manner that definitively edified the deathlessnature of the ideals of Buddhism and stand the test of time.

So stonearchitecturenot only served as a way to embody the principles of Buddhism but also led to a revival of the Greek traditions of art and architectureimbued with localbeliefs and patronage.

The spread of monasteries and their

associated buildings within the

Gandhara region as a whole and

particularly around Taxila gives us

an idea of the impact of Buddhism

in the region.

Building Typologies

The buildings we are most concerned with in Taxila all fall

within the same building type and are based around the

same cultural development in the area i.e. the rise of

Buddhism in the north western subcontinent. The character

of the architecture as explained before took after the

prevalent cultural phenomenon of the time i.e. the spread of Buddhism and its relation to the ruling elite and

contribution to the economic and social life of the area.

These are of course the monastic complexes andspecifically the Stupa and Monastery and their auxiliary

facilities.

STUPAS In Taxila

MONASTERIES In Taxila


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Steps in Stupa Construction

A gradual flight of steps is made

A support structure is constructed

A dome is added on this support

A harmika is added to the dome

An axial pole is added to the harmika

Umbrellas or chatris are added to the pole upto 13 in number. The numberof chatris denotes the status of the monk for whom the stupa isconstructed.

Types of Stupas

Type 1: Square on plan with flight of steps

Type 2: Square on plan with multiple circular stories

Type 3: Square on plan with singular circular story

Type 4: Square on plan with second story also square surmounted by dome

Type 5: Square on plan on plinth.

Spaces in Monastery

Refrectory/Service Hall: Upatthana-sala

Kitchen: Aggi-sala

Cloistered Promenade: Cankamana-sala(for walking/exercise)

Bathroom: Jantaghara

Store room: Kotthaka

Medical and general storage: Kappiya-kuti


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Details of Architecture in GandharaReliefs – From the work of Francine Tissot

Badalpur

Location of Site

Thesite atBadalpuris tothe NorthWestof Taxila Museum ata distanceof about10 kmand islocatedin thelimits ofthe village ofBhera. It lies on the left bank ofthe Haro Riverand issurroundedtoday bymany fields, small households andtree gardens of various fruits. On both sides of thesite the hills oftheTaxila valleycan be clearly seen presenting a picturesque view andgiving an idea of itsancientsetting. It has been protectedsince 1930 as an Archaeological mound undergovernmentlaw. It liesr ight next to the road leading into Bhera village. The site is spread over 2.9 acres which has beendated tothe 2nd – 5th century CE (during the heyday of the Kushan dynasty) althoughrecent datingof organic material at the site has shown that it might be even older to about 3rd century BCE. Indescriptionis a Stupa andMonastery Complex.

While standing on the site facing North,the Stupa is to theWest, themain entrance to theEast andwhat is possibly an assembly hall adjacent to the current excavation is to the South with the mainmonastery and meditation cel ls to the North . The path to the Stupa runs through the cur rentexcavationsite.


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TAXILA MUSEUM

BHIR MOUNDDHARMARAJIKA

SIRKAP MOHRA MORADU

JAULIAN

JANDIAL

SIRSUKH

JINAN WALI DHERI

BADALPUR

RCH EOLOGIC L SITES IN T XIL

SOUTHCHAPELS

STUPA

VOTIVESTUPAS

MONASTERY

CURRENTEXCAVATION

ACCESSBETWEEN

SECTIONS

STUPA

VOTIVE

STUPAS

ACCESSBETWEEN

SECTIONS

Background of Archaeological Work

Backgroundof Excavationwork

Thesite wasfirst discoveredin 1863-64duringthetime ofAlexander

Cunningham andwas excavatedto a small extent, withonlythestupaandthechapelsarounditunconvered.

Further excavation was carr ied out by John Marshall in 1916-17underhis subordinate NatisaAiyar, whowas head ofthe Frontier Circleof theArchaeologicalSurvey ofIndia. (Khan)

Fol lowing this it waslargely abandoned and was only recentlyapproached again in 2005 by the Exploration and ExcavationBranch of the Culture Department of Sind. This excavation washeaded by Dr MuhammadArif. Theseason began in Juneandendedin August of that year.The second seriesof excavationswere h eld u nder Mr Moh an Lal , who was the n h eading theExplorationBranchand Mr.ShakirAli whowas thedeputydirector in2006-7. (Khan)(Zaman)

Thiswas thetimeduringwhichthe southern,northernand western

parts of the monastery complex were unearthed along with asignificantnumberof objects.

After theformationofTIAC (TaxilaInstituteofAsianCivilizations) theexcavation wastakenoverin 2010by theinstituteandworkbegan

in2011 underthedirectsupervisionof DrAshrafKhan andcontinuespresently.3seasonsofexcavationshavecurrentlybeencarried out

byTIAC.The site is l istedas a UNESCOWorld Heritagesiteand isthusprotected underinternational law.(Khan)

A numberof reasons arepresentfor theexcavation of historicalsites:(Khan)

Tomiti gateillegalexcavations.

Toverifyhistoricaldataontheregion.

To developan understandingof ancientsocietiesthat livedin theregion.

To enrich the museums of the country by preserving culturalheritage.

Todeterminefurther archaeologicalpotentialofthe sites.

Topromote tourism.

Toencouragefresh research.

Totrai nfuture archaeologists.

Monastery

Almost theentiretyof themonasterybuilding hasbeenexcavatedand thesurrounding areasarenowbeingapproachedto geta clearerpictureofthe siteasit was.

Thesitehasnotablyvisiblemud plasterwhichwasusedon boththewallsand ceilings(evidenceofwhichhas been found amongst therubble). This is a unique feature ofthe architecture oftheregionas evidenceofthis hasn’t beenfoundon other sitesandmightbe dueto lateroccupationofthesite followingcollapseof theBuddhistoccupants.(Iqbal)The diaper andsemiashlarpatternofmasonryis indicativeofitsGandharanrootsas wellastheBuddhistoriginsof thesite.

Themain monastery complexhas 38 cells, where the4 corner cellsare larger in sizeand therestbeingofuniformsize.

Theroomsthemselves aresmallto averagehavinga singleentrance andsmallniches withinthemforhousingidols orpossessions.Thecorner roomswere probablyusedas storageroomsor doctors’chambersor forsenior monks.

In thecenterof thecomplex iswhatwas probably a centralwaterpool ortank for purif icationpurposes,andonthe eastandwestwallsare accesses.

TheEast accessis probablyan entranceintothe monastery,whilethe westaccess is theexitintothestupa area. The monastery area measures approximately 160’ x 175’. The smaller roomsmeasure12 ’ x 12’ andthecornerroomsare 18’ x 12’.Thewallsarefrom2 – 3.5mandfrom1-1.5m

inthicknessandare ofmassiveconstruction.


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Stupa

The stupa measures about 81’9” ( L) x 7 4’3” (W) x 20’ (H)andits main access ramp isf lankedby twovotive stupas. These were possibly raisedby monks ofhigherorderor rulers so thatthey could be worshipped andleft almsfor. Theyare much smaller,onebeingapproximately13 ’ x13 ’ andtheotherbeingapproximately13 ’ x16 ’.Therewasanelevated path (or the Prada Kashina Patha) ringing the stupa around which thesupplicantscouldperformtheirritualsbutthat haslongsinceeroded.

Themasonry ofthe stupa is limestonein thesemiashlarand diaper patternof masonrythatis seenthroughouttheregion,withthe pilastersandmouldingsof theplinthdoneinKanjur stone.The height ofthe stupa mentioned before rises above thisplinthi.e. totalheightofthe structureis20ftabovetheheightofthe plinth.

Thestone facing ofthe stupa hasbeen vandalizedin order to getto therelicshousedwithinit. Thiswas reportedevenin Alexander Cunningham’s timeand evidenceof thiscanstil lbeseenwherethestupaseemsas if i t hasbeencutin half , thedomebeingnolongerclearlyidentifiable.Relicsof theBuddha ormonksof a higher order wereplacedwithin stupaswhichwerethenworshippedby theBuddhist supplicants andwereofgreati mportance.

Tothe northand southof themain stupaarea seriesof chapels, 3 on e ac h s ide f o ratotalof6. Theremaybe2 moreoneithersidebutsincethatpartofthesiteisonprivatelanditcannotasyet beexcavated.

Current Excavation

Thecurrent area ofexcavation includeswhat might have been an assembly hall, akitchen, dining area, store rooms and an extension of the monastery. The extensionportion is being unearthed currently and the other sections have been cleared ofland and detailed. It l ies on the path towards the stupa which passes along thesouthwardwall of the monastery.

The extension of the monastery was discovered by chance after bushes werecleared from thearea anda visible structure wasdiscerned from thedisturbed soilunderneath.

Theextensionspaceincludes possibly 8 or more monk cells and this area also has astore room. During the excavation the previously mentioned stucco statue ofBuddha in meditation, iron objects such as door knocks, pottery, animal bones,coinsand a grindingstone were found. A ‘jar’, which could bethe top ofa buriedstupa, is being excavated at present. The kind of bones uncovered show thatanimals were also being domesticated and these have been sent to variousinstitutesfor researchand analysis.

SURVEY IN PROGRESS

Digital

ReconstructionREIMAGINING BADALPUR ASIT STOOD IN ANTIQUITY


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REALISTIC RENDERSOF BADALPUR SITEMODEL

CURRENT STATE OF SITE


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SITE IN ANTIQUITY


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SITE VIEW AT NIGHT


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Conclusion

Pakistan faces many threats, threats which effect each aspect of our society and this includes our

collective heritage.

Neglect, corruption, disinterest, looting, desecration, all are ju st a few of the dangers being faced byour archaeological treasures and the task to conserve these aspects of our history is monumental.

However technology has come a long way since the days of Marshal or Cunningham, and we nowhave the tools to preserve these monuments and artefacts in more ways than one, in more dimensionsthan the three we know.

Digital technologies now need to be utilized in order to virtually compile our co llective heritage into adatabase to be preserved for posterity, because if we keep waiting for the skies to clear, we’ll find thatwhen the sun does come out all that we have been waiting to save has already been washed away.

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Documents

Virtual Archaeology1