150th ASI Anniversary, and PM's Speech

In December 2011 the ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) had its 150th anniversary. This is a little belated but I am well overdue on catching up on posts.

The Prime Minister gave a speech on the occasion, the theme of which was largely how urbanization is threatening our monuments. Now this is a very serious issue in archaeology, and it's particularly important that in our rush to modernise we don't destroy all the heritage that we have, because, and trust me on this, we'll regret it later.

So all I can say to Manmohan Singh is pretty much, Yes indeedy. Now it would be nice if the government took a little more action instead of just paying lip service to heritage issues.

Restoring Humayun's Tomb

Here's an interesting piece about restoring Humayun's Tomb.

Image- Humayun's Tomb, 2010. Copyright Alex Adwick.

Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World

An upcoming exhibition at the British Museum!

Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World
Surviving treasures from the National Museum of Afghanistan

"Nearly lost during the years of civil war and Taliban rule, these surviving treasures reveal Afghanistan’s ancient culture, its immense fragility and its remarkable place in world history."

I can't wait for this to open, and am really really excited about it. The events that go along with the exhibition look wonderful as well, and include a talk by William Dalrymple on the First Afghan War, and the current situation in Afghanistan.


Book tickets
Free for Members
Opens 3 March 2011

Planning a visit?

Image: Gold crown from Tillya Tepe, 1st century AD
"This astonishing object was found in the tomb of a nomadic woman. It was designed and assembled from different pieces which allowed it to be folded when not in use. It is the ultimate example of portable nomadic wealth."
National Museum of Afghanistan © Thierry Ollivier / Musée Guimet