spacer
spacer
spacer
spacer
New Integrated Knowledge based approachs to the protection of cultural heritage from Earthquake-induced Risk
Projects


Shefara'm
A Byzantine burial complex
Preliminary survey
OrdererMunicipality of Shefar’am
DurationDecember 2007
Implemented by: Arch. Ram Shoeff
Meir (Mark) Avrahami

 
This project involves providing optimal recommendations for the conservation and presentation of finds that are situated in an environment with very problematic conditions. The five tombs from the Byzantine period, which are hewn in the bedrock and decorated with unique reliefs, are today located below a road, near a private residential area that was built without any consideration for the site or its tourism potential. Moreover, the private construction of residences next to the archaeological finds and the change in the surrounding conditions are the main causes for the damage that has occurred to the antiquties site to date.
 
The solutions required for protecting the site, its conservation and presentation to the public call for a series of measures including: stone conservation, arranging drainage at the site and in its immediate vicinity (for the street and a nearby residential building), a planning response to public traffic and arranging long term conservation maintenance of the site. Due to the irreversible damage to the site’s surroundings the most efficient conservation solution would probably be to backfill the caves and cover them over.



To view the figures, click on the figure caption
The vicinity of the caves, looking northwest.

View of the opening of the northwestern cave.

Decorations on the entrance of the southeastern cave.

Detail of a decoration on the outside of the southeastern cave.

Decorative detail, problems with cracking, salts and moss in the northwestern cave.


site built by tetitu
 Credits