Application of Sciences
in Archaeology and Collaboration Between Archaeological
Survey of India (ASI) and Indian Institute of
Technology (IIT), Kanpur
The ASI, with a view to introduce
various scientific applications in archaeology, has
entered into a MoU with the IIT (Kanpur) recently. The
collaboration is basically aimed at capacity building
of ASI officers in various scientific methodologies
that can be of use in archaeology and also to have joint
projects in various application areas. Two of the projects
that are under process are “Terrain Mapping and
Archaeo-Scientific Investigations of Ahichchhatra, district
Bareilly, U.P.” in which various scientific applications
like GPS, Total Station, GPR, GIS will be put into use.
The other project is that of “Seismic Retrofitting
of Ancient Monuments” with the Civil Engineering
Department of IIT. The Rumi Gate, Lucknow has been identified
for formulating a Pilot Project in this regard. Several
other areas have also been identified in which ASI will
have active collaboration with IIT, like (i) database
management using various applications and custom-made
software, (ii) laser scanning of ancient structures,
(iii) antiquity identification system, (iv) analysis
of various antiquities using non-destructive methodologies
to know about ancient technology, provenance studies,
interaction networks, etc., (v) dating of archaeological
samples through various dating methods, and (vi) statistical
applications in archaeology.
A promising step that has been initiated
by IIT (Kanpur) in this regard is that of setting up
a “National Centre for the Archaeological Sciences
and Technology” in its campus which will have various
components like dating labs, sophisticated equipment
to carry out various studies in archaeology, training
centres for capacity building of archaeologists, undertake
various kinds of research in scientific applications
of archaeology.
Source:
Press Information Bureau Date: January 04, 2008
