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Project at Angkor Wat Nearing Completion
A multi-year project to conserve the roof of the Churning of the Sea of Milk Gallery at Angkor Wat has reached a significant milestone, with the disassembly of the gantry crane erected in February 2008 to assist with the removal of the roof stones for conservation and their subsequent return to the top of the gallery. Khmer conservators treated and repaired each stone to improve its condition, desalinated the porous material, and made repairs as necessary. Problems with the roof and water damage were causing salt to permeate the wall that holds the Churning of the Sea of Milk bas-relief and damage its fragile and delicately carved surface. The sacred twelfth-century bas-relief depicts the Hindu creation myth and is much revered by Cambodians, art historians, and visitors. Considerable effort went into designing treatments that would restore the passive drainage system created by the Khmer architects when building Angkor Wat. The gantry crane came down in January, marking the completion of the original project on which APSARA National Authority and WMF collaborated. Some additional work remains, which will be completed in the coming months. A slideshow on our website provides a closer look at this multi-year effort.
Celebration at Huaca de la Luna
On January 18, donors and dignitaries gathered at Huaca de la Luna outside of Trujillo, Peru, to celebrate the conservation work carried out in 2011 and to highlight new discoveries. The 2011 season saw the completion of 14 years of work to clear the main temple facade of rubble, fully revealing the seven painted adobe steps of the structure that had been buried for 1,200 years. A newly discovered semicircular altar in the ceremonial plaza was also unveiled. 
Rooms Conserved in Potsdam Palace
The conservation of a suite of rooms in the Neues Palais, or New Palace, in Potsdam's Sansoucci Park, is nearing completion. The palace, constructed on the orders of Frederick the Great in the mid-1760s following Prussia's victory in the Seven Years' War, housed members of the royal family and important guests until the dissolution of the German Empire following World War I. WMF's work focused on four rooms of the Lower Royal Suite, a private retreat for royals and special guests, consisting of a dining room, concert room, cabinet, and antechamber. Work is concluding in time for the year-long celebration of Frederick the Great's tercentenary.
Sumda Chun to Be Featured at Conference
Sumda Chun, a remote Buddhist monastery high in the Indian Himalayas, first came to WMF's attention in 2006 when it was on the World Monuments Watch. In subsequent years, WMF supported the conservation of the structure and its important wall paintings. In 2011 the project won a UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Award for excellence in cultural heritage conservation. Because of this award, in September of this year the project will be part of The Best in Heritage's annual survey of awarded museum, heritage, and conservation projects from around the world.  
New Downloadable Exhibition
Now anyone interested in raising awareness about any or all of the 67 sites on the 2012 World Monuments Watch can download exhibition panels about each site for display. The panels are free to download and are available on our website.