IMTO – Italian Mission to Oman University of Pisa

 

ARCHITECTURAL REPORT (FEBRUARY - MARCH 2014)

ARCH. STEFANO BIZZARRI, ARCH. ROBERTO ONOFRIO

IMTO – Italian Mission to Oman – University of Pisa ARCHITECTURAL REPORT (FEBRUARY - March 2013)

ARCH. STEFANO BIZZARRI, ARCH. ROBERTO ONOFRIO

In 2014A we mainly worked on the following activities on the site

- Tower: reinforcement and restoration of walls M251 and M252, located on the south-eastern slope of the hill, just outside the entrance door to the tower

- Top of the site: investigation, reinforcement, restoration of walls M50, M51, M249, M250, M253, M256, M62

- The area near the stairway was also investigated

Restoration activity Investigation and consolidation activity

Restoration and reinforcement of the walls M251 and M252 close to the tower’s entrance. This operation started on 15/02/14. Preliminarily, the two walls and the portion of the tower between them were cleaned in order to get a clear picture of their actual state of preservation. During this cleaning, we spotted some damage in the tower wall which required the removal of some collapsing stones, then left on site for reuse. Once the wall was secured, we closed the lacuna and reinforced the wall, using the original stones together with other ones found tumbled in the same area. After consolidation of the tower wall works proceeded with the restoration of walls M251 and M252, following the same procedure described above. The two small terraces contained by these walls were then filled with rough stones from the surrounding area, topped by a layer of smaller stones. The operation ended 18/02/2014.

The work at the begin The situation after the cleaning

The final situation

Investigation, consolidation and reinforcement of the walls close the main entrance to the upper part of the site. Works started on 16/2/2014. Initially, a long phase of cleaning was necessary to clarify the situation of the walls to be restored. This cleaning was needed to understand the state of preservation of the structures while also investigating the presence of new alignments: these have definitively clarified the connections and the relationships between the various portions of the area. We also carefully removed with hand-tools a portion of the soil that accumulated in the area due to previous heavy rains. During this careful investigation, new alignments were discovered that provided important data about the layout of the area near the main entrance stairs on the top of the site.

The situation at the beginning

The clarified situation after the cleaning

Besides, the secondary wall leant against the main entrance stairs was demolished, thus freeing the main face of the original wall. Works ended on 26/03/2014

The situation in the beginnning

The final situation after the demolition of the wall

Investigation, consolidation and reinforcement of the walls in the upper part of the site. This work has started on 18/2/2014. We have thus investigated, partly consolidated and restored some of the walls in the northeast quadrant of the site. In particular, we intervened on the walls M249, M250, M253, M50, M51,M58, M62, M256. After the cleaning of the collapsing parts we started their consolidation. Loose stones were removed and were later reused in the restoration of the same walls they originally belonged to. Consolidation and rebuilding of new parts were carried out using a mortar made of mud and straw in varying percentages, laid down between the stones courses - the common procedure already used in the past. The terraces that in some cases were contained by the restored walls were filled with medium size stones at the bottom, then with small size stones, finally covered with the green-yellowish stone chips coming from the excavation. During the cleaning around wall M50 a stone channel was identified and it was almost completely exposed as excavation was continued. Works ended on 13/03/2014. M249

M250, M62

M51

M58

M50

The channel identified during the cleaning of the wall M50

M253

M256

A total view of the areas interested in the activities of restoration

Arrangement of drainage and flow directions. Within the site we created a drainage system for the already investigated areas, perfectly integrated with the layout of the site. The flow directions were chosen just following the gullies that rain water had naturally dug. Inside the depressions of these gullies we realized small channels, then filled with dry stones of various sizes. In the following images we show the details of the realization of one of these small drainage channels and the connection to the main collection channel; the drainage exploits an old lacuna in the wall and as such did not require the use of plastic pipes.

Restoration and maintenance of the mudbrick walls. After the problems we had during the 2013B campaign, we requested the presence of an expert worker in the traditional mud plaster coating of walls. However, also during this mission none was present. In addition, the original estimation of the labour force needed to carry out the programmed maintenance alongside restoration was of around 30 workers: during the first few days of work only 10 men were available, and 19 in total for the remaining duration of the mission. For this reason and due to this lack of organization, not attributable in any way to the IMTO, it was not possible to carry out any mudbrick walls maintenance tasks. It is obvious that in the absence of maintenance, the deterioration of the mudbrick walls will be rapid and irreversible. In any case, the workmen present on the site were fully engaged in the restoration of stone walls and in the investigation and cleaning works. Recommendations. As we wrote in the report of last campaign (2013B), the mudbrick walls restored in past years look strong and well preserved even if they sometimes need some repair: a periodical maintenance of the layer of mud and straw plaster is strongly suggested. It is advisable to limit the access to the site only through the paths already defined. It is dangerous to climb and walk on walls and in areas of excavation, and it is not advised to climb the stairs inside the tower because not all their containing walls have yet been reinforced. We heartily recommend to place a warning panel especially for the part of the stairs not yet restored.