MANSEHRA, Oct 10 The archaeology department of the Hazara University has sought financial assistance from the National Fund for Cultural Heritage to protect edicts of Mauryan emperor Ashoka on rocks here.

The 14 edicts of Ashoka are in a dilapidated condition as most of the inscriptions are illegible due to environmental and urbanisation ravages.

Safdar Khan, chief archaeologist at the university, told Dawn on Saturday that the edicts inscribed on three big rocks on both sides of the Karakoram Highway in Mansehra had been losing their past glory gradually and could not be read easily. The edicts, he added, needed to be preserved.

Mr Khan, who recently attended an international seminar and completed a course in “preventive conservation reduces risk to ancient collection” in China, said if the National Fund for Cultural Heritage approved the funds, a study would be initiated to know the reasons of corrosion of the inscriptions and control it.

He said the department of archaeology and museum in 1969-70 had provided canopies to protect the edicts but these did not sufficiently cover the inscriptions. He said the inscriptions were being deteriorated because of environmental changes and urbanisation.

He said one of the three rocks on the left side of the KKH was in more bad condition because it was not fenced and protected properly from rain and people.

He said a sewage line passed near the rock and locals also dumped garbage there.

Mr Khan said the crux of the edicts was to bring the human beings close to animals as friends and end all cruelties against them.