Most of the archaeological sites owned by national governments have undergone some level of restoration. We don't call 'em ruins for nothin', as one colleague put it. Governments prefer to keep their ruins safe for people to visit, and, sometimes they attempt to reconstruct the fallen buildings so that people can get a taste of what the buildings looked like when they were in use.
Reconstructed Palace of Knossos. Photo by Kim Steele / Getty Images
Site restoration is difficult at best. Some of the earliest attempts, for example at Teotihuacan's Sun Pyramid and the "Palace of King Minos" at Knossos, were based on faulty understanding of the archaeological record, and don't represent any past reality. In addition, an ill-judged restoration effort can actually destroy archaeological evidence. Modern restorations balance the issues of public safety, site integrity, preservation, and honesty, so that the visitor is aware that the ruins have been rebuilt.
In the article Archaeological Conservation and Historic Architecture, Marc LeFrançois, Architectural Conservator for the Salinas National Monument, discusses his recent reconstruction of a small kiva on the grounds of Gran Quivira. An accompanying photo essay shows how progress was made.
Restoration in Progress at Kiva F, Gran Quivira. Photo by Marc LeFrancois, photographer
Gran Quivira is one of three ancient adobe brick villages called pueblos, located in the Salinas Pueblo National Monument of New Mexico. First built about 1300 AD, Gran Quivira was the home of the people called Las Humanas by the Spanish who arrived in the 16th century and built a mission there.
Site Restorations at Gran Quivira
- Archaeological Conservation and Historic Architecture, from Marc LeFrançois
- Site Restoration at Kiva F at Gran Quivira, a photo essay
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