DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36954#0016
the UNESCO became too demanding. As a distinguished archae-
ologist and a palaeographer, trained in Sanskrit, he worked in-
dependently in interpretation and publication, with a character-
istically imaginative approach.
Since 1980, the Pak-German team has had regular expeditions
every year, at first sponsored by the German Research Council
(with a substantial contribution from the Volkswagen Founda-
tion). Later on, financial and administrative responsibility was
taken over by the Heidelberg Academy for the Humanities and
Sciences, which in 1984 inaugurated a special committee for the
implementation of our programme.
Until 1985 I joined the team with the intention to devote most
of my time to further exploration in places not previously
visited. But negotiations with sponsors and the involved govern-
ments and, of course, public relations, became my permanent
burden. I had seen important clusters of carvings beforehand
during travels in 1955, 1958, 1964, 1971, 1975 and 1975. The
earlier journeys were still done on foot and on horseback, which
gave a general idea of the environment, its possibilities, difficul-
ties and even dangers. By writing a book on the pre-Islamic
Religions of the Hindukush (JETTMAR 1975) I had the chance
to become thoroughly familiar with the cultural heritage and the
linguistic situation, thanks to information provided by my
friend Prof. BUDDRUSS. And I had the invaluable advantage to
be aware of the nearby excavations made in Soviet Central Asia
and their interpretation.
Dr. V. THEWALT had joined our team already in 1980. Then he
held a scholarship provided by the German Archaeological
Institute, and was immediately confronted with responsibility
for the documentation of the very large site of Hunza Haldeikish.
The involvement of the great institution just mentioned turned
out to be ephemeral. So our next expeditions — when we both
had to fend for ourselves — with changing, not always trained
collaborators, became especially exacting. So in his proper field
of Buddhist iconography, many results are not yet included in
his preliminary reports (1985, 1984, 1985).
The assignment to our team of Director M.S. QAMAR, as repre-
sentative of the Department of Archaeology and Museums was
maintained through several campaigns. We found him most
XII
ologist and a palaeographer, trained in Sanskrit, he worked in-
dependently in interpretation and publication, with a character-
istically imaginative approach.
Since 1980, the Pak-German team has had regular expeditions
every year, at first sponsored by the German Research Council
(with a substantial contribution from the Volkswagen Founda-
tion). Later on, financial and administrative responsibility was
taken over by the Heidelberg Academy for the Humanities and
Sciences, which in 1984 inaugurated a special committee for the
implementation of our programme.
Until 1985 I joined the team with the intention to devote most
of my time to further exploration in places not previously
visited. But negotiations with sponsors and the involved govern-
ments and, of course, public relations, became my permanent
burden. I had seen important clusters of carvings beforehand
during travels in 1955, 1958, 1964, 1971, 1975 and 1975. The
earlier journeys were still done on foot and on horseback, which
gave a general idea of the environment, its possibilities, difficul-
ties and even dangers. By writing a book on the pre-Islamic
Religions of the Hindukush (JETTMAR 1975) I had the chance
to become thoroughly familiar with the cultural heritage and the
linguistic situation, thanks to information provided by my
friend Prof. BUDDRUSS. And I had the invaluable advantage to
be aware of the nearby excavations made in Soviet Central Asia
and their interpretation.
Dr. V. THEWALT had joined our team already in 1980. Then he
held a scholarship provided by the German Archaeological
Institute, and was immediately confronted with responsibility
for the documentation of the very large site of Hunza Haldeikish.
The involvement of the great institution just mentioned turned
out to be ephemeral. So our next expeditions — when we both
had to fend for ourselves — with changing, not always trained
collaborators, became especially exacting. So in his proper field
of Buddhist iconography, many results are not yet included in
his preliminary reports (1985, 1984, 1985).
The assignment to our team of Director M.S. QAMAR, as repre-
sentative of the Department of Archaeology and Museums was
maintained through several campaigns. We found him most
XII