Abstract
The 2015 Gorkha Earthquake was a humanitarian disaster but also a cultural catastrophe that damaged and destroyed historic monuments across Nepal, including those within the Kathmandu Valley UNESCO World Heritage Property. In the rush to rebuild, traditionally constructed foundations are being removed and replaced with modern materials without assessments of whether these contributed to the collapse of a monument. Generally undertaken without scientific recording, these interventions have led to the irreversible destruction of earlier subsurface phases of cultural activity and the potential loss of evidence for successful traditional seismic adaptations and risk reduction strategies, with no research into whether modern materials, such as concrete and steel, would offer enhanced resilience. In response to this context, multidisciplinary post-disaster investigations were undertaken between 2015 and 2018, including archaeological excavation, geophysical survey, geoarchaeological analysis, linked to architectural and engineering studies, to begin to evaluate and assess the damage to, and seismic adaptations of, historic structures within Nepal’s Kathmandu Valley. Where possible, we draw on archaeoseismological approaches for the identification and classification of Earthquake Archaeological Effects (EAEs) at selected monuments damaged by the 2015 Gorkha Earthquake. Lessons learned from evidence of potential weaknesses, as well as historic ‘risk-sensitive tactics’ of hazard reduction within monuments, are now being incorporated into reconstruction and rehabilitation initiatives alongside the development of methods for the protection of heritage in the face of future earthquakes.
Highlights
The collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates which has formed the Himalayan mountain range brings with it the constant threat of seismic activity
Whilst the majority of the case studies utilised to develop the framework of Earthquake Archaeological Effects (EAEs) classification are European, Middle Eastern- and Meso-Americanfocused, these selected examples provide evidence of both primary and secondary EAEs identified within archaeological sequences and standing monuments within South Asia
EAEs are more readily identified within monumental standing stone constructions, evidence from the archaeological record in South Asia indicates the potential for identifying seismic damage within archaeological sequences and brick-built structures
Summary
The collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates which has formed the Himalayan mountain range brings with it the constant threat of seismic activity. The earthquake was a cultural catastrophe, causing destruction and damage to 691 historic buildings across Nepal, including 403 within Kathmandu’s UNESCO World Heritage Property (Gautam et al 2015: 3) This is not the first instance that these monuments, or their earlier developmental phases, have been damaged by earthquakes and that associated communities have reacted to and reconstructed their urban fabric and lives after such catastrophic events. Began to frame suggestions for reconstruction and the reinforcement of buildings in the face of future seismic shocks (Rana 1934: Chapter 10) This could be argued to be the first recorded systematic attempt within Nepal to identifying potential earthquake damage patterns, and seismic adaptive strategies, there is little documentation available and no comprehensive study has been undertaken to identify the actual recovery process from the 1934 earthquake (Weise et al 2017: 67). We hope to demonstrate the potential of the multidisciplinary field of archaeoseismology, or earthquake archaeology, both within South Asia and within immediate postdisaster environments
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