Rakhigarhi, India
A panoramic view from the roof of Rakhigarhi's temple and school looks east over the nearby excavation for an new underground water tank, while in the distance a cell tower has been mounted atop another archaeological mound.
View from the site in Rakhigarhi, India
Panoramic view north from inside the archeological site in Rakhigarhi.
Archaeological site in Rakhigarhi, India
At the archaeological site the remains are most visible by a cut made in the mounds for a street at the edge of the village where people dig for saleable items.
Archaeological site in Rakhigarhi, India
At the archaeological site in Rakhigarhi villagers dig for saleable items.
Master plan for the Bantaey Chhmar, Cambodia
The opening session of the workshop to develop the Archaeological Resources Management Plan and master plan for the Banteay Chhmar temple complex in Cambodia. In the center are His Excellency Ok Sophon (right), the General Director of Cultural Heritage, and His Excellency Oung Ouen, Governor of Banteay Meanchey Province.
Master plan for the Bantaey Chhmar, Cambodia
Professor Michael Tomlan participates in a roundtable discussion about the elements of the plan, with representatives of the security police and the military.
Master plan for the Bantaey Chhmar, Cambodia
Cornell Professor Michael Tomlan outlines the possible procedure for master planning, involving the staff of the Ministry of Culture, the Province, the District, and the Commune. Copies of the text in the background, in Khmer, were provided to members of the audience for discussion.
Governor Ouen and Michael Tomlan
Governor Ouen, photographed with Professor Michael Tomlan, is no stranger to the need to safeguard Cambodian heritage \u2014 he was formerly the governor of Siem Reap province when the Ankgor Wat temples were designated a World Heritage Site.
Master plan for the Bantaey Chhmar, Cambodia
A discussion between the general director Ok Sophon, his assistant Vireak, and Michael Tomlan, and about a diagrammatic representation of the relationships between the people who will become involved in the planning.
March 28, 2011
CRP professor Michael Tomlan has been on study leave this semester, but he's been far from dormant. Tomlan is finishing up his textbook Historic Preservation: Caring For Our Expanding Legacy and has been concentrating on two historic preservation planning projects — in the Banteay Meanchey province of Cambodia and in the village of Rakhigarhi in India.
In Cambodia, Tomlan is assisting the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts to develop a master plan for the Bantaey Chhmar, a temple complex located in the northwest region of the country. With the support of the Heritage Watch International, Tomlan is working with local, provincial, and national government officials to formulate a comprehensive preservation plan for the site to prevent further looting, deal with infrastructure issues, and ensure that the area's emerging tourism industry does not displace local residents.
In India, Tomlan is conducting research for the Global Heritage Fund that will be used to develop a preservation plan for the area around Rakhigarhi, a small village located west of Delhi in the Indus Valley. Archeological research suggests that the current Rakhigarhi sits on top of a hill filled with ancient artifacts that have the potential to provide valuable insight into the nature of migration patterns and activities of the Harrapan civilization. Tomlan's work is focused on protecting the land surrounding Rakhigarhi from future degradation, specifically from monsoons which threaten to expose the artifacts before conclusive studies can be undertaken.
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