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Response to the authors’ reply to my discussion of their paper “An introduction to the karst geomorphology of the Bisetun-Taq-e Bostan historical region (northeast Kermanshah, Iran) with special emphasis on karst development as a serious threat for the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bull Eng Geol Environ doi:10.1007/s10064-014-0662-0”

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Notes

  1. cf. the lack of detail and inappropriate specification I identify in my discussion of Ghobadi et al. (2014).

  2. Especially pertinent given their comments in Point 4 around the ‘non-expert’ intervention by others.

  3. That the authors, in the preamble to their reply, add the caveat that they were only predicting that ‘in the near future’ the deterioration of the Taq-e Bostan monuments will occur (“due to surface karst development”). This simply reframes their ‘preservation’ proposals as acts of ‘preventive conservation’ for which, I would argue, would need addressing with even greater urgency, given the now entirely speculative nature of their prognosis.

  4. It should be remembered that Ghobadi et al. (2014) present only one example of karren formation near the monuments, where, behind the Ardashir II panel, a “lot of trittkarren has been formed”.

  5. http://jk-conservation.com/index.php/teaching/glossary/ (accessed 4 January 2016).

  6. My 2007 report states: "This report has been prepared for the Second Phase of Preservation/Conservation works to the Taq-E Bostan Complex. It is understood by all that the conservation of the sculptural reliefs can only be implemented after the execution by others of appropriate engineering works, as Phase One."

  7. With regard to my proposal to remove part/all of the pavement stones, there are relatively non-aggressive ways of removal including using anti-vibration diamond bladed stone saws to cut sections before manual levering/removal.

  8. It should be noted that the second part of that statement, that “historical monument conservation expert will apply appropriate conservation methods to a monument according to geological reports” is true in part, as geological data is incorporated in the wider technical briefing (others include chemical analyses) that, along with other relevant cultural and historical information, influence the formation of conservation treatment plans.

References

  • Ghobadi MH, Torabi-Kaveh M, Miri M, Mahdiabadi N (2014) An introduction to the karst geomorphology of the Bisetun-Taq-e Bostan historical region (northeast Kermanshah, Iran) with special emphasis on karst development as a serious threat for the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bull Eng Geol Environ. doi:10.1007/s10064-014-0662-0

  • Ghobadi MH, Torabi-Kaveh M, Miri M, Mahdiabadi N (2015) Reply to the discussion by Jonathan Kemp on “An introduction to the karst geomorphology of the Bisetun-Taq-e Bostan historical region (northeast Kermanshah, Iran) with special emphasis on karst development as a serious threat for the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bull Eng Geol Environ. doi:10.1007/s10064-014-0662-0

  • Kemp J (2007) Conservation Report on the Sasanian Monuments of Taq-E Bostan, Kermanshah, Iran. Unpublished conservation report to the Kermanshah Office of the Iran Cultural Heritage, Handcrafts and Tourism Organization Cultural heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Department (K-ICHHTO)

  • Kemp J (2012) Sassanid monuments of Taq-e Bostan, Kermanshah, Western Iran, summary of a conservation report. J Iran Archaeol 3(3):47–63

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  • Kemp J (2015) Discussion of a recent paper: M. H. Ghobadi; M. Torabi-Kaveh; M. Miri; N. Mahdiabadi; An introduction to the karst geomorphology of the Bisetun–Taq-e Bostan historical region (northeast Kermanshah, Iran) with special emphasis on karst development as a serious threat for the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bull Eng Geol Environ. doi:10.1007/s10064-014-0662-0

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Kemp, J. Response to the authors’ reply to my discussion of their paper “An introduction to the karst geomorphology of the Bisetun-Taq-e Bostan historical region (northeast Kermanshah, Iran) with special emphasis on karst development as a serious threat for the UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bull Eng Geol Environ doi:10.1007/s10064-014-0662-0”. Bull Eng Geol Environ 75, 877–879 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10064-016-0849-7

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