Prehistoric rock carvings in Bhasha Dam area to be digitised

The Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) has embarked on a plan, involving site documentation and consolidation, as well as archiving and modelling of the prehistoric rock carvings and inscriptions, which would be submerged in the reservoir of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam.

Under a Rs46.5 million deal, Wapda acquired the consultancy services of the Quality Solutions Technologies for digitisation of the significant rock carvings in the direct area of impact of the dam with modelling and preparation of data for 3D printing, a Wapda spokesperson said on Wednesday.

“The plan aims at preservation of prehistoric rock carvings and inscriptions to be submerged in water reservoir of Diamer Bhasha Dam, setting up a museum and promotion of cultural tourism in Gilgit-Baltistan, particularly in Chilas and its suburban areas,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

Plans for the constructing the Diamer-Bhasha Dam were initiated in the 1980s and the first feasibility report commissioned in 1984. At that time, the proponent of the dam sought to address the issue of the project’s impact upon culture.

In 2009, a Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment (CHIA) was conducted by national and international experts. In 2020, a Cultural Heritage Management Plan (CHMP) was prepared by international consultants Dr Harald Hauptmann, Feryal Ali Gauhar, Dr Qasim Jan, and Yasmeen Lari.

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The plan recommended that the most significant carvings that were to be submerged by the reservoir of the dam be preserved by record in order to fulfil obligations under Articles 19, 21, and 22 of the Antiquities Act (Federal) of 1975, the spokesperson said.

“Today, Wapda awarded the contract for the digital documentation of the most significant carvings… The digital archive will be acquired through 3D scanning cameras to provide a database for research as well as for future replication of each scanned carving through a 3D printing process.”

The process of digitisation of preservation by record would be overseen by Gauhar, Adviser for the Cultural Heritage Management of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project. According to the statement, the digital archive would be handed over to the Gilgit-Baltistan government for research and display.

The dam is being constructed in northern Pakistan, which serves as a repository of rich cultural heritage comprising immense number of rock carvings. The CHMP recommends the digital preservation of 175-200 most significant rock carvings, which represent various historic periods and aesthetic style.