A New Approach for the Capping Interventions of Architectural Remains in Archaeological Sites

Abstract

A limited number of archaeological excavations have a budget or a suitable order of site to cover all the remains found on the site by a protective structure. Therefore, the method of protecting architectural finds excavated in archaeological sites with a protective layer is frequently used to control plant formation and to prevent the deterioration caused by climatic conditions. Even though capping is an effective way of preserving architectural structures, these interventions do not always slow the pace of decay. In this research, the main categories of hard and soft capping techniques in archaeological sites, and the preservation questions that these techniques raise, are examined along with their advantages and disadvantages. Following the examination, a new approach is proposed for capping the architectural monuments in order to protect the fragile structure of the unearthed archaeological heritage by minimizing the destructive effects of existing techniques.