DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.36954#0032
necessary. Therefore the procedures described by ANATI (1977:
10—22) must be applied in the future:
"In many cases it is necessary to wash the surface of the stone
with non-ionic soap" and to apply "very delicate washable
colours"; that is called the "neutral method for discerning the
smallest and faintest figures". The next step is called "tracing"
by ANATI (1977: 59): The rock is covered by sheets of poly-
ethylene. On such transparent sheets all underlying features are
marked by hand, with felt tipped pens, discerning superimposed
compositions by using different colours. Photographing and
casting (with liquids, contact- and positive casts) are considered
by ANATI as additional methods. This procedure needs for a
rock of the size 30x15 metres 14 collaborators working two and
a half months — 8 hours a day. "In order to thoroughly prepare
text and illustrations 1277 more working days will have to be
employed" — and that would keep our small team busy for more
than two years.
I am so explicit here because by this comparison it becomes clear
that there is no feasible alternative to photography under our
present circumstances. The other reason to avoid time-consuming
procedures, as demanded in E. ANATI's booklet under the
points "Cleaning — Tracing — Casting" was the fact that the
petroglyphs are endangered by actual economic and spiritual
developments.
When the Karakorum Highway was built the destructions re-
mained rather moderate — in relation to the fact that 8,000 tons
of explosives were used (HAMID 1979: 172). Only the site called
Chilas I was heavily affected, where some carvings described by
Sir Aurel STEIN have been blasted.
The plan to build a dam at Basha transforming the Indus valley
into a lake, would mean the inundation of most of the historical-
ly important clusters of petroglyphs (as can be seen on the
"Basha Reservoir Map" belonging to a feasibility study of the
Montreal Engineering Company). But more dangerous are small
daily activities, e.g. the blasting of boulders near to the new
roads. Many of them are covered with petroglyphs, but none of
the villagers is particularly concerned about that. The fragmented
rock is cut into cubes and transported by jeeps or tractors to the
villages for the construction of new, prestigious houses in the old
XXVIII
10—22) must be applied in the future:
"In many cases it is necessary to wash the surface of the stone
with non-ionic soap" and to apply "very delicate washable
colours"; that is called the "neutral method for discerning the
smallest and faintest figures". The next step is called "tracing"
by ANATI (1977: 59): The rock is covered by sheets of poly-
ethylene. On such transparent sheets all underlying features are
marked by hand, with felt tipped pens, discerning superimposed
compositions by using different colours. Photographing and
casting (with liquids, contact- and positive casts) are considered
by ANATI as additional methods. This procedure needs for a
rock of the size 30x15 metres 14 collaborators working two and
a half months — 8 hours a day. "In order to thoroughly prepare
text and illustrations 1277 more working days will have to be
employed" — and that would keep our small team busy for more
than two years.
I am so explicit here because by this comparison it becomes clear
that there is no feasible alternative to photography under our
present circumstances. The other reason to avoid time-consuming
procedures, as demanded in E. ANATI's booklet under the
points "Cleaning — Tracing — Casting" was the fact that the
petroglyphs are endangered by actual economic and spiritual
developments.
When the Karakorum Highway was built the destructions re-
mained rather moderate — in relation to the fact that 8,000 tons
of explosives were used (HAMID 1979: 172). Only the site called
Chilas I was heavily affected, where some carvings described by
Sir Aurel STEIN have been blasted.
The plan to build a dam at Basha transforming the Indus valley
into a lake, would mean the inundation of most of the historical-
ly important clusters of petroglyphs (as can be seen on the
"Basha Reservoir Map" belonging to a feasibility study of the
Montreal Engineering Company). But more dangerous are small
daily activities, e.g. the blasting of boulders near to the new
roads. Many of them are covered with petroglyphs, but none of
the villagers is particularly concerned about that. The fragmented
rock is cut into cubes and transported by jeeps or tractors to the
villages for the construction of new, prestigious houses in the old
XXVIII