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Celsus Library in Ephesos (Turkey), anastylosis carried out 1970-1978

Anastylosis (from the Ancient Greek: αναστήλωσις, -εως; ανα, ana = "again", and στηλόω = "to erect (a stela or building)") is an archaeological term referring to a reconstruction technique where a ruined monument is restored after careful study and mensuration using original architectural elements where possible. It is also sometimes used in archaeology to refer to use of the same technique in restoring broken pottery and other small objects.

Anastylosis has its detractors in the scientific community. In effect the method poses several problems:

• No matter how rigorous preparatory studies are, any errors in interpretation will result in error in reconstruction - often incorrigible.
• Damage to original components is nearly inevitable at some level.
• Any one element may be used or may have originated in different buildings or monuments from different periods. To use this element in a particular reconstruction denies (perhaps incorrectly) the plausibility of the others

The intent of anastylosis is to reconstruct historical architectural monuments which have collapsed from the original material. This is done by placing components back in their original place. For this, as far as possible original materials of the building are used. In cases where standing buildings are in risk of collapse, the method may entail careful measurements and drawings, piece-by-piece disassembly, and careful reassembly with new materials for required structural integrity; occasionally this may entail a new foundation. When elements or parts are missing, modern materials (often of restoration grade) can be substituted, such as plaster, cement, or synthetic resins

The international Venice Charter of 1964 details the criteria for an anastylosis. Firstly, the original condition of the structure must be confirmed through scientific investigation, and agreed to without question. Secondly, the proper placement of each recovered component must be known. Thirdly, supplemental components must be limited to that necessary for stability and safety (that is: substitute components may never lie at the top), and these must be recognizable as replacement materials. Therefore, reconstruction work for the purposes of filling in hypothetical blanks in the structure are not allowed.

• A primitive anastylosis was carried out in 1836 at the Acropolis in Athens, where the temple to Nike was re-erected from remaining parts.

• Starting in 1902, the Greek architect Nikolas Balanos used anastylosis in order to restore a collapsed portion of the Parthenon, restore the Erechtheion, and rebuild the Nike Temple a second time. Iron clamps and plugs which had been used earlier had started to rust and had caused heavy damage to the original structure. These were removed and replaced with precious metal clamps. When the temple was once again rebuilt additional newly identified original fragments were added.

One of the earlier examples of anastylosis: the Borobudur in Java, Indonesia.

• In the early 20th Century, Dutch archaeologists carried out anastylosis of the stupa at the Buddhist temple complex at Borobudur in Java, Indonesia between 1907 and 1911. Further work was later carried out by Indonesian teams.
• The French archaeologist Henri Marchal from the École française d'Extrême-Orient (EFEO) was taught the method by Pieter Vincent van Stein Callenfels and in the 1930s began restoration work at Angkor Wat. The first temple of many thus restored was Banteay Srei. As an exception, Ta Prohm was left in its original state;
• The Odeion in Troy (Turkey)
• Temple of Trajan Pergamon (Turkey)
• The temple of Heracles Agrigento (Italy)
• Temples of Petra (Jordan)
• Mỹ Sơn (Vietnam)
• Restoration of the king's funerary complex at Djoser, (Saqqarah, Egypt); by Jean-Philippe Lauer over the period 1926-2001
• The Red Chapel at Karnak
• The Cretan palace at Knossos by the archaeologist Arthur John Evans
• Currently (2006), consideration is being given to applying this process to the Buddhas of Bamyan in Afghanistan, which were destroyed by the Taliban in 2001. Archeologists have estimated that as much as 50% of the statues' material is recoverable.

• (German) Adolf Borbein, Tonio Hölscher, Paul Zanker (Hrsg.): Klassische Archäologie. Eine Einführung. Reimer, Berlin 2000, ISBN 3-496-02645-6 (darin: Hans-Joachim Schalles: Archäologie und Denkmpalpflege. S. 52 ff. Gottfried Gruben: Klassische Bauforschung. S. 251 ff.)
• (German) Gruben, Gottfried: Anastilosis in Griechenland- In: Anita Rieche u.a. (Hrsg.): Grabung – Forschung – Präsentation. Festschrift Gundolf Precht. Zabern, Mainz 2002. S. 327–338. (Xantener Berichte, Band 12) ISBN 3-8053-2960-1
• (German) Klaus Nohlen: Anastilosis und Entwurf. In: Istanbuler Mitteilungen, Bd. 54 (2004), S. 35–54. ISBN 3-8030-1645-2.
• (German) Hartwig Schmidt: Wiederaufbau. Denkmalpflege an archäologischen Stätten, Bd. 2, hrsg. vom Architekturreferat des Deutschen Archäologischen Instituts. Theiss, Stuttgart 1993. ISBN 3-8062-0588-4
• (German) Michael Petzet, Gert Mader: Praktische Denkmalpflege. Kohlhammer, Stuttgart 1993. ISBN 3-17-009007-0; v. a. S. 86 ff. und 98 ff.

• Article on Bamyan Buddhas (ICOMOS)

Translated from the French language article and the German language article 10 May 2006