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> It is troubling that visitors cannot easily tell what parts have been reconstructed since it became a tourist site. Yeah the "partial restoration" always rub
by pengaru 5y ago
> It is troubling that visitors cannot easily tell what parts have been reconstructed since it became a tourist site.
Yeah the "partial restoration" always rubbed me the wrong way, basically choosing an arbitrary level of insufficient repair and maintenance.
If the residents of Machu Picchu were alive today, how would they feel about their city being half-assedly fixed? Why not just rebuild the city to the best of your ability true to its original architecture and building methods? It's arguably a disgrace as-is.
I have similar feelings about the pyramids in Egypt. Calling them "historic ancient ruins" seems like a convenient excuse to neglect repairs/maintenance and let them slowly deteriorate back into the earth. Get on it, show us what the pyramids are supposed to look like at their finest! I hear their flat stone faces would gleam in the sun.
- harlanlewis 5y agoI would love to see the gleaming pyramids! But I can’t help but think of Cecilia Giménez’s well-intentioned repair of Ecce Homo (the Jesus fresco). For historical sites with any mystery, even a restoration done with skill and care would create some fiction while destroying evidence that could be used in the future. Earlier eras were filled with this kind of sanctioned, inquisitive vandalism - the Victorian fascination with mummies is especially relevant. There’s a lot we won’t ever learn because of that early enthusiasm. I’m not advocating doing nothing with historical sites. I’m just more comfortable with preservation than reconstruction that replaces the original. If they want to build a brand new set of pyramids, using original construction methods and designed to match, just do it off to the side a little bit and I’m all for it.
- neuronic 5y agoThe important thing is that we learn all that we possibly can from the ancient structures. Then, I would agree with restoring and maximally using these structures for modern purposes. If ancient Egypt persisted, the pyramids would have changed as well. Change shape, color, purpose. Who knows. Change is integral to life and trying to keep something the same for millenia just for the sake of not changing it, is unnatural. But alas, we don't know what we don't know. This is the major argument in the way of ever abandoning these structures as archeological sites and to shift them to modern use.
- mint2 5y agoHaving been to parts of the Greta wall that were fully “repaired”, keep in mind what you’re asking would most likely make it seem like it was from Disneyland or a cheap facade.
- pharrington 5y agoLearning about the past takes a long time.
- xorcist 5y agoSure, let's destroy all archaeological value so that tourists can watch gleaming pyramids.
- pengaru 5y agoHow does replacing the fascia stones, putting the originals in a museum protecting them from further erosion in the elements, destroy all archaeological value of the pyramids?