SAVING THE PAINTED TOMBS
Emma Hart had always hoped to see the ancient painted tombs on the island of Sereno. Last spring, she finally went there on a guided tour with a small group of students. Deep underground, they moved slowly through narrow rooms whose walls were covered with pictures of dancers, musicians and horses. Hart could hardly believe her eyes. Her delight did not last long, however. "When I first worked here, thirty years ago, these colors were bright and clear," said Marco Bellini, the guide. "Now most of the paintings have faded, and some can hardly be seen at all."(lines 1–6)
In fact, Hart booked the trip because she knew the paintings were at risk. The damp air underground is slowly eating away at them, and experts warn that they could be lost completely within fifty years. The tombs are not the only treasures in danger. In Venice, floods are becoming more frequent as sea levels rise, and parts of the old city may one day be lost under water. Meanwhile, in several desert regions, heavier rains are washing away ancient towns that were built of mud thousands of years ago.(lines 7–12)
Sadly, the growing interest in such places is part of the problem. Heritage tours, which take visitors to famous ancient sites, are adding to the damage. On Sereno, for instance, the crowds are harming the very paintings they came to admire. "On a busy day, up to three thousand people go through the tombs," Bellini explains. "Their breath makes the air warm and wet, which is terrible for the colors. Some visitors even touch the walls to feel the old paint. On top of that, most groups arrive in large tour buses, which leave their engines running outside and fill the air around the entrance with smoke."(lines 13–19)
Recently, experts in protecting ancient sites have published guidelines intended to limit the harm done by heritage tourism. They advise, for instance, that visitors enter painted tombs only in small groups with a guide. Visitors are also asked to spend no more than fifteen minutes inside and never to touch the walls or take photos with a flash. "The guidelines are easy to follow, and they make a big difference," Bellini says. "I think every travel company should send them to its customers before the trip."(lines 20–25)
Many guides on Sereno now make sure that their groups follow these guidelines, and they also teach visitors how to protect old buildings in their own countries. As a result, plenty of tourists leave the island eager to help. "Some of them send money to projects that repair ancient paintings," says Bellini. "Others start campaigns back home. They write blogs and speak at libraries and community centers, urging people to visit famous sites out of season, when they are quiet. Even though these campaigners came here on crowded tours themselves, they now tell others to avoid such tours. I hope people listen to them."(lines 26–32)