| Project Detail |
Unveiling the legacy of terracruda sculptures along the Silk Roads
Over 2 000 years ago in Central Asia, large-scale terracruda sculptures served as vehicles for transferring knowledge along the Silk Roads. Nevertheless, our understanding of their creation remains limited, posing challenges for preservation. Comparable sculptures are still being produced in certain regions of the Himalayas and India. The MSCA-funded TANTRiC project will explore the cultural significance of these traditional sculpting practices and of fostering sustainable conservation solutions. The project will employ a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating ethnographic research, materials science, and conservation to investigate the practical craftsmanship involved in sculpting. Furthermore, it will conduct an analysis of archaeological sculptures to draw comparisons between ancient and contemporary materials; lastly, it will perform simulation tests on clay-based mortars using traditional recipes to assess their behaviour and properties.
It is in Central Asia, that more than 2,000 years ago, the art of making monumental terracruda sculptures become one of the most significant expressions of knowledge transfer along the Silk Roads. Despite the wide distribution of this art and its historic relevance, we still lack a scientific understanding of the manufacturing of these sculptures. Consequently, preservation remains a challenge. Recent studies have shown that monumental terracruda sculptures are still produced in some areas of Himalaya (Bhutan) and India (West Bengal) and, although the precise materials may vary, the technological pattern remains unchanged over time. This pattern is the result of a specific knowledge acquired and transmitted over centuries. TANTRiC will study and valorise this traditional knowledge to unveil the cultural significance of this unique artistic practice, as well as to inspire, through scientific criteria, innovative and sustainable solutions for the conservation of these sculptures. TANTRiC proposes an interdisciplinary methodological framework in the domain of heritage science combining: ethnographic research, materials science and conservation. The objectives are: 1) documenting the empirical knowledge of making these sculptures, 2) analysing samples of archaeological sculptures to compare ancient and contemporary materials and additives, 3) carrying out a battery of simulations-tests to analyse the behaviour and properties of the clay-based mortars, inspired by traditional “recipes”. The expected results will be: a) improving the understanding, significance and evolution of the artistic practice of making monumental terracruda sculptures; b) enhancing and valorising the traditional knowledge for making these sculptures; c) informing new evidence-based conservation treatments; d) demonstrating that exploring the traditional use of green materials represents an innovative solution for the design of more sustainable and responsible heritage conservation strategies. |
