Dear colleagues, More information about the earthquake and resulting tsunamis in the Indian Ocean. According to the UNESCO among the historic and natural sites that have been affected: - The Old Town of Galle: A fortified Sri Lankan city founded in the 16th century by the Portuguese, the site mixes European architecture with South Asian traditions. - Mahabalipuram: A coastal group of sanctuaries carved out of rock, the Indian city was founded by the Pallava kings in the 7th and 8th centuries. - The Sun Temple of Koranak: The 13th-century Indian temple portraying the sun god Surya is located on the shore of the Bay of Bengal. - Ujung Kulon National Park: Comprising the Ujung Kulon peninsula and several islands, the Indonesian park is home to inland volcanoes, lowland rainforests and several species of endangered plants and animals. - The tropical rainforest of Sumatra: Comprising three national parks, the site is home to a wide range of rare plants and animals, many of which are endangered. One bit of good news was that the Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram survived the tsunami's onslaught, because of a rock wall built in 1978 to protect it from erosion. Animals from the natural parks in Sumatra are also survived thanks to the reaction of elephants. Our colleagues from Galle (Sri Lanka) said that Maritime Archaeology Unit in Galle were destroyed in the tsunami, collections and equipment are lost but the team is OK and local people are also helping them to recover the site. More dramatic is the situation in the German Ancient Ruhuna Project/Godavaya Excavation located in the mouth of the Walawe Ganga river. At this moment there is not news from Godavaya excavation team and the habitants in the surrounding villages of Paybokka and Godavaya. Some heritage sites in Phuket island (Thailand) are also damaged but there is not any preliminary rapport at the moment. All the best, Jordi ****************** Dr. Jordi Juan i Tresserras Professor associat - Gestió del Patrimoni Arqueològic / Turisme Cultural S.E.R.P./ Dept. Prehistòria, Història Antiga i Arqueologia UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA Coordinador dels Cursos de Postgrau en Gestió Cultural UNIVERSITAT DE BARCELONA Pg.Vall d'Hebron, 171 Ed.Llevant Desp.115 08035-Barcelona (Catalunya, Espanya) Tel.(+34) 93 4034427 Fax.(+34) 93 4034746 Correu-e: [log in to unmask] www.ub.edu/cultural www.gestioncultural.org/ibertur www.ub.es/medame/principal.html ------------------------------------------------- This mail sent through IMP: http://horde.org/imp/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the archives at: http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html