Tuesday, May 31, 2005
Past or Future?
An interesting (and accessible) article in the New York Times (via IHT) about another example of archaeology coming to the rescue. Amid all the violence, genocide, and horrible atrocities in Sudan, progress seems to be coming in the form of a $1.8 Billion dam that is to provide parts of the third-world country with sustainable electricity. As with any large construction project anywhere in the world, previously unknown archaeological resources have been discovered all around the dam site and have only come to light because of it. Unfortunately, the project waits for no one so archaeologists have been brought in from all over the world in an effort to salvage as much of the past as they can:
The affected locations, according to government scientists, include the noted towns and cemeteries from the Pharaonic period and the Napato-Meroitic era, which stretched from 900 B.C. to A.D. 350, at Gebel Barkal, the post-Meroitic tumuli, or grave mounds, of Zuma and the Christian monastery of Ghazali, among others.
Along with environmental concerns, the preservation of archaeological resources is a touchy issue, especially in situations like these. On one hand, the ethical archaeologist in all of us would spend years excavating any and all important sites that can illuminate the past, without regard to other circumstances. Of course, such a scenario is virtually impossible and we are forced to deal with the issue as is. On the other hand, Sudan is a terrible situation right now and bringing electricity to some parts of the county may just help bring the country the help it needs. I'm not an expert in the history of the Darfur conflict but it seems to me that the situation could only be mitigated if the country's leaders looked to bettering the quality of life. Consistent, sustainable electricity may end up being a small step toward that goal.
So, as the article mentions, no archaeologist in his or her right mind wants to race against the clock but in this case it must be done and with good reason. At least it's not a Wal-Mart...
Posted by Will at May 31, 2005 07:50 PM in In the News