Preserving our ancient world
For Dr. Martin Perschler, history buff extraordinaire, few things live up to the sheer thrill and possibility of a historical site in the making. It’s a Friday afternoon and he is in suit and tie, sipping tea at the heart of the commercial capital’s even more commercial hub Colpetty- but it only takes a few minutes for him to transport us to an ancient world preserved in time; so potent is his love for all things historical.
As the Director of the US State Department’s Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, he gets to exercise this passion for history more than most. “I’m mostly based in Washington,” he says of working at the Cultural Heritage Centre, Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs at the US Department of State. “But when I do get the chance to travel I carefully choose my destinations, where some of our most exciting projects are ongoing at that time.”
Dr. Preschler (right) at Batticaloa’s Dutch Fort
Dr. Perschler oversees a programme that has, over the years, provided financial backing for the preservation of history and culture in more than 100 countries. The US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) supports the preservation of cultural sites, objects and forms of traditional cultural expression around the world. One would perhaps think it strange that the Americans, with a relatively shorter span of recorded history, would be behind such an initiative. “There is an awakening in the US to other cultures,” we’re told. “We’ve come to the stage where we’ve begun to fully appreciate our cultural diversity. So the next question is-how can we do a better job of sharing what we’re discovering with others?”
This is where the Ambassadors Fund comes in; since its inception the fund has supported projects that include the restoration of ancient and historic buildings, assessment and conservation of rare manuscripts and museum collections, preservation and protection of important archeological sites, and the documentation of vanishing traditional crafts and techniques. In Sri Lanka the AFCP has partnered with the Department of Archaeology and the University of Sri Jayawardhanapura for several important conservation projects around the country.
“It’s the process that counts,” explained Dr. Perschler at a panel session with five other archaeological experts. We’ve become so accustomed to seeing a finished product that we’ve forgotten to find delight in the process of discovering it, he muses. Dr. Perschler was joined by Professor P. Mandawala, Dr. Shiran Deraniyagala, Anusha Kasthuriarachchi, Dr. Senerath Dissanayake and Pali Wijeratne. The panel shared their experience working in the field and the challenges faced by archaeological experts and historians in sharing their work with the general public.
Later, over an interview with the Sunday Times, Dr. Perschler underscored the importance of the sharing bit of history. “Not everyone is born with an innate sense of appreciation for culture,” he says. “For some, it’s a gradual learning experience. We must ensure that this happens, and for that the process of discovery-and more importantly, conservation-must not end.”
He speaks of his Sri Lankan experience with great delight. AFCP has supported nine major, ongoing projects around the island and Dr. Perschler had the opportunity of travelling to some of these locations during his week-long stay. Some, like the survey of cultural properties located inside the Matara Dutch Fort, are already complete. Then there are the others-most excitingly a collaboration with the University of Jayawardhanapura to conserve ancient monuments within the Rajagala Buddhist Monastery Archaeological Reserve-which are still underway. The forest meditation monastery is home to an as yet undocumented number of artefacts and archaeologically untouched sites. “We’re in the process of discovering many exciting sites and artefacts at Rajagala,” says Professor Mandawala, who heads the programme at the university. “And we’ve only just begun-there’s much more to come.”
For Dr. Perschler it’s simply proof that this world we inhabit has so much more to offer than has been discovered. His travels have only served to cement this belief. Before taking up this appointment Dr. Perschler worked for nine years at the National Park Service headquarters in Washington, DC, where he served as Chief Historian of the Service. He has a PhD in the history of architecture (from the University of Virginia), interestingly enough. “I was very passionate about architecture since I was young,” he explains. “Everyone assumed I would become an architect.” He had other plans-“I was more interested in looking at other people’s work!” he laughs.
He couldn’t possibly ask for more with his current appointment. While he is yet to visit all the countries supported by AFCP’s work, Dr. Perschler has made it to quite a number. We ask him what his favourite is-he grins, and says “wherever there’s an interesting project that involves the community, I’m always happy to visit.” This must be a key focus in whatever a conservation project aims to do, he points out. “When you involve a community, you’re not only supporting livelihoods but you’re also ensuring that the project becomes a sustainable thing.” He pulls up an example from his travels-a temple in Thailand in which the AFCP supported the conservation of murals. The project involved the elders in the local community by teaching them to spot signs of deterioration in the newly restored murals-thereby ensuring that long after the conservation team left, the murals were still under observation.
In Sri Lanka, too, this is a key focus. The Rajagala site is supported by the local community and this is replicated elsewhere to ensure the sustainability of the projects. Dr. Perschler is impressed with the country’s high standards of archaeological conservation, in particular noting the panel’s observation that Sri Lanka implemented the extended buffer zone for historical sites way ahead of her contemporaries.
He also speaks of a museum renovation project in Anuradhapaura-once completed, the museum will hold the utensils used in the process, for better understanding by the general public. It’s an aspect of conservation that often gets thrown under the bus to make way for academia, but Dr. Perschler feels it is a vital aspect of arousing interest amongst the public about history, and the potential in the field. “I don’t think many kids are aware that there’s a lot of scope for a career in this field,” he notes. It’s not all hot sun and digging up skeletons, after all!
Look no further than the panelists at Friday’s discussion at the American Centre for inspiration. Each spoke of their experience and hopes for the field of archaeology with the kind of passion most of us are yet to discover. In that moment they were not simply academics, but storytellers spinning a tale so alive it deserved to be retold. Perhaps that sums up the very reason for conservation, Dr. Perschler will tell you. “There’s always a story to tell.”
More importantly, there’s always someone to listen.