For ages, Humo sapiens have evolved in almost every aspect, including the field of the built environment, structures, and heritage. Let us plunge back into the prehistoric or Paleolithic age, and then afterwards, we can point out the changes witnessed in the structures and the built environment. These changes denote the cultural advancement as seen over time. From the early ages to the Mesolithic or Harappa to Mesopotamian, all ages have established their unique footprint on the sands of time.
But a question arises, how do we know about these earlier civilizations? How have we been able to decipher their lifestyles and their culture? Some of you might guess our history books. Yes, that is one of the sources, but the primary source has always been the structures excavated, conserved, or preserved over time. The structures are a tangible source connecting us to a particular time or era. For instance, the excavation of the Harappa civilization was a breakthrough in history and archaeology. These civilizations proved to be a primary source that let us decrypt the sociology, the planning, the building materials used, the social strata, and many more such information prevalent at that time. At present, the ASI (Archeological Survey of India) has been preserving this site for a long time to maintain its importance for the ages to come.
Let us take another example of the Pantheon in Rome, Italy. If the site had not been preserved over time, the Greek civilization might have been unknown to us. Despite the traveler's accounts or old manuscripts, a tangible source about the same is vital to know more about any civilization. For example, the Acropolis was placed on elevated land, which eventually points out the social hierarchy followed by people at that time. At that time, the king was regarded highly by the people and considered equal to God, due to which the Acropolis was planned beside the temple, also called Pantheon, at an elevated height. The kingdom populace resided at a lower elevated lands called Acropolis. These prominent features of Greek civilization had been deduced by historians and archaeologists after visiting and researching the site. Thus, it shifts our view towards “ Architecture conservation — a promoter of cultural identity.”
Conservation and its importance have been growing after several wars, and natural calamities resulted in the loss of many renowned historical sites all around the world. One such example is — The Ancient City of Bosra in Syria. It was the capital of the Arabian part of the Roman Empire, but this heritage site was damaged severely by mortar shelling and gunfire during the recent war in Syria. Similarly, many such historical sites and structures have been damaged in wars or any natural calamity. Thus, it became a significant step to preserve these heritage buildings.
Ellora caves are one of the sites that come under the UNESCO World Heritage sites, and when visited, their importance is justified. The whole site is said to have been a rock-cut structure built with such architectural advancements that scientists and historians are still bewildered by the advanced technology used in its construction. There are around 100 caves, among which only 34 are accessible to visitors. The Ellora caves have been built with sheer size, delicate architecture, and intricate details, all carved out of a single stone! Further studies and research reveal that this massive structure might have been built 500 years ago, during the Golden Age. The Ellora caves are decorated with Hindu and Jain sculptures, which also imply the importance of religion at the golden age. Among the caves lays another marvel to witness — The Kailasha temple. Kailasha is renowned as the biggest and the most intricate-cut monolith temple in the world. The undeciphered construction technology of this temple still makes scientists and historians bewildered. The temple, as mysterious as it may seem, poses as one of the most intriguing structures in the world. The temple and the cave come under the ASI and have been preserved quite well in the past years. These caves also have proved to be a contributing factor in increasing the cultural heritage of India over time.
In a nutshell, it can be concluded that conservation does prove as a catalyst in promoting the cultural identity of a place. With the numerous technologies and construction methods evolving, the presence of these conserved structures lets us remain attached to our roots, to the culture which led us to the emergence until now.
