Strategies for safeguarding unprotected potential archaeological sites around Ashapuri Group of Temples

Abstract

India is a vast county and has a diverse pool of cultural heritage and ancient monuments in the form of buildings and other archaeological sites, remains and ruins. The shear quantum of built heritage makes it difficult to come under the umbrella of legal protection. In the absence of this legal protection these heritage sites are in danger of vandalism and illicit trafficking. This standing built heritage is largely untapped, the plight of potential archaeological sites is more vulnerable, as they are unrecognized and below ground with traces visible. Prehistoric people had no written record so we are dependent on the artefacts they did leave. The values of archaeological sites lie in the information that sites contain and the knowledge that can be gained from their study. An Archaeological site is any place where physical remains of past human activities exist. Potential Archaeological sites are the areas of the property which may contain archaeological remains. Archaeological sites are a finite non-renewable physical and material resource. There is a great chance that these potential archaeological sites may get destroyed by the development activity in the area. So these sites need to be protected and guidelines should be made for there protection.