Vasilka Dimitrovska – Wikimedia MacedoniaThe new media – cultural heritage insomnia
With the global population increase, there is an accelerated change in the way our planet looks and these changes “sometimes” can’t keep up with the modern development.With this trend, there is an increase also in the desperate race of the archaeologists worldwideto locate and document the cultural heritage before it is lost. Because, once a dozer goes over a site, or a site is flooded or paved over, or cellular network transceiver stations are placedover it, that site is forever lost to science. All of the information it had contained are lost andirretrievably gone with its destruction.On the morning of 06 September 2009, I received an E-mail from a reader thatsomething strange is happening on a site in the surroundings of the town of Demir Hisar, asite which is known to the locals as Graishte, a name which is the same as the village inwhich it is located. I posted a note on my website entitled:
How the cellular network operators are destroying the archaeological sites in the Republic of Macedonia
in whichI have quoted the concerned citizen informing me of that site’s destruction. I have obtainedhis permission that I can use all of the photographs and information which he has providedme, under the condition that I should keep his name a secret. In order for me to locate thesite, I have used the services of Google Earth, and the data needed for the post wereborrowed from the available scientific papers published in the past.
Information about the site:
Graishte, Gradishte dated from early to late antiquity. Itis situated on a high, cone-shaped hill with a leveled plateau and protected with threefortifications originating from different time periods encompassing an area of 10 hectares.According to the archaeological findings, the site was populated from early antiquity up tothe late middle ages. Scientific research suggests identification with the ancient town of BRAYANION, found in the writings of Pliny the historian and the geographer Strabo.In the afternoon of that same day, after the post was published online, I have receivedtwo E-mails sent from one of the Macedonia’s cellular network operators which had a mildlythreatening content. Since this site is a known, valid and archaeologically documented site,on the 08 of September 2009, I have undertaken field investigations using adequateequipment and a crew comprised of six members. After the preformed investigations, I havefound the following:The acropolis of the archaeological site Gradishte near the village of Gradishte,municipality of Demir Hisar is in its two – thirds permanently destroyed while performingexcavations for the foundations of the antennae for cellular network base station installation.The digging extends to 30 – 40 cm in depth, with occasional digging to 60 – 70 cm in depthat the site’s center. Then, a 200 meters long and 1 meter deep trench was excavated for thepurpose of grounding of the lightning protection system. The dozer with which the diggingwas done was still present at the site. Pieces of pottery and container fragments could be seenall over the place. Also, parts of the fortifications were completely laid to waste.I have made photo and video records. My first step was to inform the officials incharge connected with the division for the protection of cultural heritage of the Republic of Macedonia. Then, I have posted another article at my website containing the field report. Theresponse to all of this in the blogging community was luke-warm, and the mainstream mediawere not at all interested in publishing any of this. In order for the information about thedestruction of the site to reach a wider audience, I have used my Facebook and Twitter accounts where I have great number of followers. Then, I have tried to edit the video materialhttp://arheo.com.mk e-mail: info@arheo.com.mk
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