<< News >> Agency begins work to extract chamber from Takamatsuzuka
Submitted by coldrum on Wednesday, 23 May 2007 Page Views: 1260
Other ArchaeologyCountry: Japan The Cultural Affairs Agency began work Tuesday to disassemble the stone chamber of the seventh- to eighth-century Takamatsuzuka tomb in the ancient village of Asuka, Nara Prefecture, for outdoor reassembly in a bid to preserve its colorful wall paintings designated as national treasures.This is the first time the agency has taken apart a stone chamber containing national treasures.
It plans to take out 16 pieces of stone from the roughly 1,300-year-old chamber over four months before spending about 10 years to restore the chamber and its wall paintings, officials said.
"The priority is safety, and we will make concerted efforts" to successfully take out the chamber and preserve the murals, Takayasu Koezuka, head of the Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties who leads a 15-member disassembly team, said at a work-launching ceremony.
A special crane developed solely for the Takamatsuzuka work will be used to hoist the stone pieces, whose condition have deteriorated severely since their discovery 35 years ago, the officials said.
The work carries the risk of damaging the stone pieces, notably the four on the ceiling where many cracks have been found.
After the pieces are removed, they will be placed at a facility some 500 meters north of the tomb for cleanup and restoration work, the officials said.
The first to be hoisted will be one of the four ceiling stones, measuring 160 × 105 cm and 47 cm thick. It will be taken out Thursday after a trial lift Wednesday, they said.
The Takamatsuzuka tomb, which contained skeletal remains of someone believed to be of high rank, possibly a crown price -- dates from the late seventh century to the early eighth century.
It features colorfully painted walls, including depictions of a group of women wearing brightly colored clothing and three of the four Taoist deities that reign over the four points of the compass. The deities are the White Tiger of the west, the Azure Dragon of the east and the Black Warrior of the north. The Vermilion Bird of the south, which is also thought to have been depicted, has yet to be found due to looting-related damage.
The murals resemble wall paintings found in tombs in China and the Korean Peninsula.
The Takamatsuzuka tomb murals were discovered in March 1972 by a team of archaeologists from Kansai University and Ryukoku University. The discovery triggered a popular boom in archaeology in Japan.
Three members of a local cultural group who took part in the excavation 35 years ago were present when the work was launched Tuesday.
"I wish I will be able to see the murals again," said Toshikazu Ueda, 66, one of the three members.
After the murals were discovered, the Cultural Affairs Agency sealed off the stone chamber and has since strictly controlled visits by archaeologists.
Despite the preservation efforts, the murals have since deteriorated apparently due a rise in temperature inside the chamber.
In 2002, mold was found on the murals. An agency worker involved in preservation work accidentally caused some damage when removing the mold.
The agency came under fire for failing to disclose that it secretly repaired the damage caused by the accident.
Last September, the agency opened the stone chamber of the Takamatsuzuka tomb to the press for the first time.
The disassembly work was originally scheduled to begin in February but has been delayed after cracks likely caused by past earthquakes were found in the ground that surrounds the stone chamber.
japantimes.
We would like to know more about this location. Please feel free to add a brief description and any relevant information in your own language.
Wir möchten mehr über diese Stätte erfahren. Bitte zögern Sie nicht, eine kurze Beschreibung und relevante Informationen in Deutsch hinzuzufügen.
Nous aimerions en savoir encore un peu sur les lieux. S'il vous plaît n'hesitez pas à ajouter une courte description et tous les renseignements pertinents dans votre propre langue.
Quisieramos informarnos un poco más de las lugares. No dude en añadir una breve descripción y otros datos relevantes en su propio idioma.