Encountering and Countering Constraints in the Exploration of Ethiopia’s Unique Wall Painting Technology

Abstract

ABSTRACT Little known to the outside world, the northern highlands of Tigray, Ethiopia, possess an extraordinary wall painting heritage. These astonishing paintings have so far evaded the multiplicity of conservation mistakes which have adversely affected wall paintings elsewhere, but they remain vulnerable to a variety of problems. Cautious and sensitive exploration is required to build knowledge and to develop appropriate approaches to their preservation. Technical research is key to this process, but it is inevitably circumscribed by availability of resources. In addition to the usual time and budget constraints, conservators working at remote sites such as those in Tigray often face serious operational, environmental, and access challenges. Wall painting sites may also be places in religious use where access to painted spaces may be forbidden or very limited. This paper outlines the approach developed for the first major multi-site technical and condition study of wall paintings in Ethiopia, embarked upon in 2013 by the Ethiopian Heritage Fund in collaboration with Ethiopian partners, and incorporates a summary of the findings to date. It is the authors' hope that it will provide useful guidance for technical investigations conducted in similar circumstances elsewhere.