MAHSA Project

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The ground beneath our feet is continually transforming under the influence of human activity and nature. Thousands of archaeological sites face threats that could break the chain of knowledge with both our near and distant past.
Our project aims to detect, document and monitor archaeological sites in South Asia in the hopes of detecting what has been lost and documenting what is there now.
#archaeology #heritage #SouthAsia #mapping #remotesensing
 
Who?Detection, documentation and monitoring of Archaeology and heritage in South Asia
What?Archaeology and heritage in South Asia
Why?Climate change, expansion of agriculture and other threats have led to the loss of heritage
Websitehttps://www.mahsa.arch.cam.ac.uk/
MAHSA ProjectOct 23, 2023

For #MapMonday we are looking at the Bhimbetka!

The #UNESCO #WorldHeritage site of Bhimbetka is located in central India, Madhya Pradesh. Its renowned for its #rockart within its many rock shelters (more than 750!) , and it also has continuous occupation from the #Palaeolithic to the #Historical period. Its interesting to see the dense jungle(s) surrounding the area, and also the various springs. How do you think this #landscape would have affected the choice of the site by past populations?

MAHSA ProjectOct 20, 2023
For #HeritageHighlight we focus on the #landscape where we find the site of Pirak. It is located in #Baluchistan where mountain ranges stretch from the coastal plains all the way to the Hindu Kush in the north and enclose arid highlands and narrow river valleys.
Excavations by Pakistani, French, and German teams revealed a number of sites including Pirak, Nausharo, and the famous site of Mehrgarh.
From evidence of camel use to bi-chrome pottery, the archaeology reveals an interesting dynamic.
MAHSA ProjectOct 19, 2023

Dr Kuili Suganya shared her thesis findings on 'Unlearning #Monumentality: Recognising Malaprabha River Valley as a 'lived #landscape' at the Centre for South Asian Studies.

What memories keep #cultural #heritage alive? What can we learn from the local shephards? Does our focus on the monuments obstruct/abstract from the other cultural practices that keep it alive?

#archaeology #heritage #monuments #monumentsofindia #landscape #rivers #southasia #temple #shrine #trees #culturalheritage

MAHSA ProjectOct 16, 2023
New #MapsMonday discovery today! We found Pirak Mound site perfectly depicted on this 1928 #map. This site, located on the Kachi-Bolan region of Baluchistan (Pakistan), was #excavated in the 1960-70s by French-Pakistani teams and was dated to circa 1700-700 BC. During this #excavation, they found extensive #mudbrick architecture, evidence of #rice cultivation, and figurines of horse riders!
MAHSA ProjectOct 2, 2023
This #MapMonday we are fascinated by this depiction of a lighthouse on one of our historical maps. Its interesting to see the varied signs and symbols the surveyors used to differentiate between structures. We have already seen symbols for forts, mosques, temples, churches during our work but this is a rare find! This shows the Ras Muari lighthouse on Cape Monze, Karachi built in 1914.
#maritime #worldmaritimeday #heritage #history #southasia
MAHSA ProjectSep 29, 2023
For our #HeritageHighlight today, we are focusing on the Dhamekha Stupa at Sarnath. Sarnath is an archaeologically important site, with Mauryan and Gupta era structures. However, it is also a significant site for Buddhists, where the Dhamekha stupa was built by emperor Ashoka to mark the place of Buddha's first sermon. The stupa is cylindrical and impressively towers over the town from a height of 43.6m! It was also recorded by the Chinese Buddhist scholar Xuanzang on his travels.
MAHSA ProjectSep 11, 2023
#MapsMonday We are carrying on the theme of indigenous water management systems, as we shine a spotlight on the karez system (also known as qanats) prevalent in the region of Balochistan, Pakistan. This community owned karez irrigation technology was created for arid and semi-arid regions, and is thought to have traveled through the Silk Route from Persia but can be found all over Central and Western Asia and even as far as Japan .
You can see them in the images as circles arranged in a line.
MAHSA ProjectSep 7, 2023

Asoka's commitment to spreading these policies across his empire is considered to be borne from his experience of the Kalinga war in Orissa, where he was horrified at the destruction caused by his own army. Do you think these rock edicts were a good way to popularise his beliefs?
Images courtesy of Wikipedia Commons and World History Encyclopedia.

#archaeology #heritage #southasia #India #Bangladesh #Pakistan #rockart #inscription #art #history #Buddhist #mauryan

MAHSA ProjectSep 7, 2023
#HeritageHighlights Following on from our previous post, let's take a look at the content of the Manshera rock edicts. These rock edicts often contained guidelines according to Asoka's policy of 'Dhamma' or righteous law, which was based on the ideals of peace and tolerance. These edicts are spread all over the Indian subcontinent, such as Sanchi (central India), Lumbini (Nepal), and also Manshera (northern Pakistan).
MAHSA ProjectAug 29, 2023

We missed out on #MapsMonday, but we have #map related news nonetheless. An #article on the #Indian team members of the Survey of #India was just published in Maplines, a magazine by the British #Cartographic Society. You do have to be a member to read it for free. However, a similar version of the story is available on a #StoryMaps we published previously. Read more to find out about the people who #mapped the #subcontinent and beyond.

Follow the link: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/27406cafd8304fcba85932dc7c779a14
#HistoricalMaps

For Official Use Only

The Survey of India in WWII

Esri