Conservation and Preservation of Monuments Main Traits of Profession
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How much wealth do you 
think India's territorial waters conceal?
No exclusive surveys have so far been done on the number of shipwrecks, sunken ports or lighthouses, not even on sunken cities like Dwarka that dot our coastlines, though some locations have been pinpointed by the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO). We have through ancient literature and through the works of Ptolemy and Pliny realised that there is a lot of wealth to be uncovered. You must remember that India has been a maritime nation for centuries, trading silks, spices and cotton. Some evidence of it still exists under water.
What are the projects that the UAW is focusing on?
We have a number of interesting shipwrecks that need to be explored. One is the Indus, which sank with a precious cargo of masterpieces and sculptures and supposedly the railing of a rare stupa which the British had collected and planned to ship to Britain. But unfortunately, the wreck is in Sri Lankan waters and we plan to contact the government there to salvage it.
There have been different kinds of boats used for trading. We intend to study the entire system and also find out more about how seafaring was conducted, what kinds of traditional and fishing boats were used. Then, there is the Dwarka project. I have also recently visited Kaveripattanam in Tamil Nadu. There are reports of a boat buried there supposedly carrying some gold.
You have to realise, searching for something under water is not like digging on ground. Everything is destroyed or is moved around by the currents. Wood, and other items disintegrate.
Try to pick something up and it turns to powder in your hands. You cannot dig under water and have to brush away everything with your hands. We use under water cameras and make trenches of two-metres-by-two-metres to work on. Sometimes dredges are used. Suction pumps are also used to remove dust and expose the wreck.
How much manpower do you require? Does infrastructure need to be put in place?
Yes, definitely. We have got government approval to train our archaeologists in diving at the NIO or through other agencies. We also have a backup plan to have centres/circle offices in every corner of the country for underwater archaeological projects. I plan to have people in these centres trained in diving.
We will of course select people below the age of 40 who show a keen interest in underwater archaeology. After the initial training, they are most likely to be sent for advanced/international diving license in France. Here, at the moment, we are taking the help from amateur divers and from the NIO. We are also exploring a tie-up with the Indian Navy, and they have also helped us out in projects in the past, but the course they offer is very tough.
How can one apply for the PG diploma run by the ASI?
Announcement of the PG diploma is made in the Employment News. There is an entrance exam conducted by Institute of Archaeology (see box). If someone volunteers for underwater archaeology training then we offer the facilities for training.
Out of the courses offered, the one that is most in demand is the conservation and preservation of monuments. Not many as yet are ready to volunteer for underwater archaeology. Hopefully, things will change soon.
Author: Ayesha Banerjee (HT Horizons)
Date: 4th November, 2010
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