Anastylosis

Celsus Library in Ephesus (Turkey), anastylosis carried out 1970–1978

Anastylosis (from the Ancient Greek: αναστήλωσις, -εως; ανα, ana = "again", and στηλόω = "to erect (a stela or building)") is an archaeological term for a reconstruction technique whereby a ruined building or monument is restored using the original architectural elements to the greatest degree possible. It is also sometimes used to refer to a similar technique for restoring broken pottery and other small objects.

Methodology

The intent of anastylosis is to rebuild, from as much of the original materials that is left after usually thousands of years of abuse, historical architectural monuments which have fallen into ruin. This is done by placing components back into their original positions. Where standing buildings are at risk of collapse, the method may entail the preparation of drawings and measurements, piece-by-piece disassembly, and careful reassembly, with new materials as required for structural integrity; occasionally this may include new foundations. When elements or parts are missing, modern materials (of restoration grade) may be substituted, such as plaster, cement, and synthetic resins.

The international Venice Charter of 1964 details criteria for anastylosis. First, the original condition of the structure must be confirmed scientifically. Second, the proper placement of each recovered component must be determined. Third, supplemental components must be limited to those necessary for stability (that is, substitute components may never lie at the top), and must be recognizable as replacement materials. New construction for the sake of filling in apparent lacunae is not allowed.

Criticism

Anastylosis has its detractors in the scientific community. In effect, the method poses several problems:

No matter how rigorous preparatory studies are, any errors of interpretation will result in errors, often undetectable or incorrigible, in reconstruction.
Damage to the original components is practically inevitable.
An element may be, or may have been reused in, or may have originated in, different buildings or monuments from different periods. To use it in one reconstruction obviates its use in others.

Examples

Greece

Anastylosis in Knossos palace, Crete, Greece, by Arthur Evans

A primitive anastylosis was carried out in 1836 at the Acropolis in Athens, where the Temple of Athena Nike was re-erected from remaining parts. Starting in 1902, the Greek architect Nikolas Balanos used anastylosis in order to restore a collapsed portion of the Parthenon, restore the Erechtheion, and rebuild the Nike Temple a second time. Iron clamps and plugs which had been used earlier had started to rust and had caused heavy damage to the original structure. These were removed and replaced with precious metal clamps. When the temple was once again rebuilt additional newly identified original fragments were added. Currently, anastylosis is being applied to the Parthenon.

Indonesia

One of the earlier examples of anastylosis: the Borobudur in Java, Indonesia

Early in the 20th century, Dutch archaeologists carried out anastylosis of the stupa at the Buddhist temple complex at Borobudur in Java, Indonesia between 1907 and 1911. The Prambanan Hindu temple complex was excavated and was partially reconstructed between 1911-1953.

Cambodia

The École Française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO) began restoration work at Angkor Wat in 1908. Between 1986 and 1992, the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) carried out restoration work on the temple. Bayon was restored by EFCO followed by Japanese Government Team for the Safeguarding of Angkor (JSA). Ta Prohm is being restored by Archaeological Survey of India.

Others

Anastylosis in the Roman Theatre of Cartagena, Spain

Temple of Heracles in Agrigento, Italy
Temple of Debod in Madrid, Spain
Roman Theatre of Cartagena, Spain
Theatre at Sabratha, Libya
Stari Most, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
Odeion in Troy, Turkey
Temple of Trajan Pergamon, Turkey
Al Khazneh, Petra, Jordan^[1]
King's funerary complex at Djoser, Egypt by Jean-Philippe Lauer (1926–2001)
Red Chapel at Karnak, Egypt
Cretan Palace at Knossos, Crete by the archaeologist Arthur John Evans
South Palace at Vat Phu, Laos
Mỹ Sơn, Vietnam

Proposals

The Buddhas of Bamyan in Afghanistan which were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001 is under consideration for anastylosis.^[2] Archaeologists have estimated that as much as 50% of the statues' material is recoverable.

It would be possible to reconstruct the Gourgion Tower in Gozo, Malta using anastylosis, since many of its decorated stones and inscriptions were retrieved following its demolition in 1943, and are now in storage at Heritage Malta.^[3]

Following the recapture of Palmyra by the Syrian Army in March 2016, director of antiquities Maamoun Abdelkarim stated that the Temple of Bel, the Temple of Baalshamin and the Monumental Arch, which had been destroyed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in 2015, will be rebuilt using anastylosis.^[4]

References

↑ "Al Khazneh, Jordan".
↑ Petzet, Michael. "Anastylosis or reconstruction – the conservation concept for the remains of the Buddhas of Bamiyan" (PDF). International Council on Monuments and Sites. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2016.
↑ Azzopardi, Joe (May 2014). "The Gourgion Tower - Gone but not Forgotten (Part 2)" (PDF). Vigilo. Din l-Art Ħelwa (45): 47. ISSN 1026-132X. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 15, 2015.
↑ Shaheen, Kareem; Graham-Harrison, Emma (27 March 2016). "Syrian regime forces retake 'all of Palmyra' from Isis". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 27 March 2016.

Sources

(German) Adolf Borbein, Tonio Hölscher, Paul Zanker (Hrsg.): Klassische Archäologie. Eine Einführung. Reimer, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-496-02645-6 (darin: Hans-Joachim Schalles: Archäologie und Denkmpalpflege. S. 52 ff. Gottfried Gruben: Klassische Bauforschung. S. 251 ff.)
(German) Gruben, Gottfried: Anastilosis in Griechenland In: Anita Rieche u.a. (Hrsg.): Grabung – Forschung – Präsentation. Festschrift Gundolf Precht. Zabern, Mainz 2002. S. 327–338. (Xantener Berichte, Band 12) ISBN 3-8053-2960-1
(German) Klaus Nohlen: Anastilosis und Entwurf. In: Istanbuler Mitteilungen, Bd. 54 (2004), S. 35–54. ISBN 3-8030-1645-2.
(German) Hartwig Schmidt: Wiederaufbau. Denkmalpflege an archäologischen Stätten, Bd. 2, hrsg. vom Architekturreferat des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts. Theiss, Stuttgart 1993. ISBN 3-8062-0588-4
(German) Michael Petzet, Gert Mader: Praktische Denkmalpflege. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1993. ISBN 3-17-009007-0; v. a. S. 86 ff. und 98 ff.

External links

Article on Bamyan Buddhas (ICOMOS)

Translated from the French language article and the German language article 10 May 2006.

Conservation-restoration of cultural heritage

Collection care and management	Collecting Collection (artwork) Collections care Collection catalog Collections maintenance Collections management (museum) Collection Management Policy Collections Management System Cultural heritage management Cultural resources management Deaccessioning (museum) Digital repository audit method based on risk assessment Display case Documentation of cultural property Emergency response (museum) Exhibition of cultural heritage objects Found in collection Inherent vice Inventory (museum) Museum integrated pest management Preservation metadata Preservation Metadata: Implementation Strategies Preservation of meaning Preservation survey Provenance Repatriation Restoration (cultural heritage) Storage of cultural heritage objects

Expertise	Art handler Collection manager Conservator-restorer Conservation scientist Conservation technician Curator Exhibition designer Mount maker Objects conservator Paintings conservator Photograph conservator Preservationist Registrar (museum) Textile conservator

Area specialities	Antiques restoration Archaeology Bioarchaeology Building restoration Conservation science Digital photograph restoration Digital preservation Database preservation Film preservation Frame conservation Heritage science Historic preservation Media preservation Object conservation Optical media preservation Painting conservation Preservation (library and archival science) Restoration Sustainable preservation Web archiving

Techniques	Aging (artwork) Anastylosis Arrested decay Archaeological sites Architecture Automobiles Bone, horn, and antler objects Books, manuscripts, documents and ephemera Ceramic objects Clocks Copper-based objects Feathers Flags and banners Frescos Fur objects Glass objects Historic gardens Human remains Illuminated manuscripts Iron and steel objects Ivory objects Lacquerware Leather objects Lighthouses Metals Musical instruments Neon objects New media art Outdoor artworks Outdoor bronze objects Outdoor murals Paintings Painting frames Parchment Photographs Plastic objects Shipwreck artifacts Silver objects Stained glass Textiles Tibetan thangkas Time-based media art Totem poles Vehicles Vinyl discs Woodblock prints Wooden furniture Cradling (paintings) Detachment of wall paintings Desmet method Fabric restoration Historic paint analysis Inpainting Kintsugi Leafcasting Lining of paintings Mass deacidification Mold control and prevention in libraries Mold prevention Overpainting Paper splitting Radiography of cultural objects Reconstruction (architecture) Textile stabilization Transfer of panel paintings UVC-based preservation

Notable projects	Conservation issues of Pompeii and Herculaneum Conservation-restoration of Ecce Homo by Elías García Martínez Conservation-restoration of Leonardo da Vinci's The Last Supper Conservation-restoration of the Shroud of Turin Conservation-restoration of the Sistine Chapel frescoes Conservation-restoration of the Statue of Liberty

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