Charminar's Hidden Walls Signals Need for Boundary Mapping
Rajani explained that archaeological sites in India often overlap with agricultural fields, rural and urban settlements, a phenomenon she termed “landscape morphology.”
Hyderabad: Experts at the History Literature Festival on Saturday highlighted the importance of spatial technology, remote sensing and aerial surveys in documenting monuments and their boundaries, saying such tools are vital for conservation.
The discussion, titled “Invisible Archaeology: Discovering the Past from Space”, featured Kuili Suganya, heritage conservation practitioner and academic, and M.B. Rajani, professor at the National Institute of Advanced Studies.
Rajani explained that archaeological sites in India often overlap with agricultural fields, rural and urban settlements, a phenomenon she termed “landscape morphology.” “Generally, people start walking around fort walls and over centuries it becomes a well‑trodden path that develops into modern roads,” she said.
Citing a survey of Charminar, the experts noted that while the monument today stands amid bustling markets, in the 1700s it was central to the imperial city of Hyderabad. They found remnants such as old khidkis and doorways, and said boundary walls had disintegrated or been repurposed for civilian construction.
“Boundaries are necessary,” Rajani and Suganya stressed. “Surveying them through aerial means and documenting them becomes necessary to protect whatever remaining monuments have survived, and more importantly their sub‑parts scattered around the main site.”
They pointed to the Mahabodhi site in Bodh Gaya, designated a World Heritage Site in 2002, where rampant development damaged surrounding structures despite the designation. They argued that integrating geospatial technologies with archaeology offers stronger protection for monuments and their contexts.
