Jakarta \u2014 Indonesia\u2019s Minister of Culture Fadli Zon held discussions\nwith a restoration team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) at\nthe Ministry of Culture headquarters in Senayan, Jakarta to discuss\nfollow-up cooperation on conservation and restoration of the Prambanan\nTemple Complex.<\/p>\n
Fadli emphasised that preservation efforts at Prambanan must be\nunderstood within a broader cultural landscape context. The area forms\npart of a historical ecosystem encompassing important neighbouring sites\nsuch as Sewu Temple and Plaosan Temple, which demonstrate evidence of\nHindu-Buddhist acculturation in the archipelago.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Prambanan Complex does not stand alone but is part of one large\ncultural landscape together with Sewu and Plaosan temples. Therefore,\nthe conservation efforts we undertake aim not merely to restore the\ntemple structures but also to preserve the entire cultural ecosystem in\nthe area,\u201d Fadli stated in Jakarta on Monday.<\/p>\n
Based on initial field visits to the Prambanan area, the ASI team\nassessed that several subsidiary temples require further conservation\nand restoration efforts. The anastylosis method\u2014restoration using\noriginal stones recovered from the site\u2014needs to be employed.<\/p>\n
The ASI team also highlighted a major challenge in the restoration\nprocess: architectural stone elements scattered across the site. This\ncondition makes identifying stones from individual temples complex and\nrequires careful documentation and stone typology classification\nstages.<\/p>\n
Consequently, the initial work phase will focus on comprehensive\ndocumentation of the temple structures and available stone components.\nFurthermore, to ensure appropriate methods, the ASI team has proposed\nimplementing a pilot project on one or two subsidiary temples first.<\/p>\n
Results from these projects will serve as the basis for determining\nthe most effective working methods before restoration proceeds to other\nstructures on a wider scale.<\/p>\n
In response, Fadli expressed appreciation for ASI\u2019s experience and\ninternational contributions to restoring world heritage sites.<\/p>\n
Fadli noted that the Indonesian government remains open to\ninternational cooperation that can strengthen conservation efforts at\ncultural heritage sites, particularly at Prambanan.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are also open to utilising technological developments, including\ndigital approaches and artificial intelligence, to help identify and\nreassemble temple stone components,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n
Fadli further affirmed that the Indonesian government is committed to\nstrengthening international cooperation in preserving world cultural\nheritage. He hoped cooperation with ASI would be followed up through the\ndrafting of technical documents and formal cooperation mechanisms.<\/p>\n
ADG Conservation and World Heritage Janhwij Sharma explained that ASI\nis an Indian archaeological institution founded in 1861 and currently\nmanages thousands of historical monuments, including several world\nheritage sites.<\/p>\n
Beyond conservation work in India, ASI actively provides technical\nrestoration support at important sites across various countries\nincluding Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, Uzbekistan and Mongolia.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/minister-of-culture-discusses-restoration-of-prambanan-temple-with-indian-archaeological-team-1773669272", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }