SEVEN PREVIOUS INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES

The conference on science and technology in archaeology and conservation was created thanks to an initiative of Prof. Talal S. Akasheh, previously the Dean of the Queen Rania Institute of Tourism and Heritage, Hashemite University in Zarqa, Jordan. An MP from 2010 through 2015 Akasheh is also a co-founder and member of the two NGOs WATCH and CulTech.

The previous editions of the conference were held in Jordan, Spain and Italy in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2008 and 2011.

First International Conference on Science and Technology in Archaeology and Conservation: Amman, Zarqa, Dead Sea, Petra. 2002.

The working groups and contents of the three subsequent conferences were convened in accordance with the following topics covered at the first conference:

• Tourism

• Archaeology

• Cultural Heritage Management

• Vandalism in archaeological sites

• Archaeological Information System (AIS)

• Geographical Information System (GIS)

• Information Technologies

• Restoration of Monuments

• Policies and Strategies in Conservation

• Archaeometry

• Museology

• Imaging and Non-Destructive Technical Applications

• Ancient Art and Technologies

• Conservation of Archaeological Sites

• Heritage Management in Crisis and Conflict Times

• Assessment of the Environmental Impact on Cultural Heritage

Second International Conference on Science and Technology in Archaeology and Conservation: Zarqa, Dead Sea, 2003.

Due to the fact that the second gathering coincided with the start up of the “Third Gulf War” in 2003, a wide variety of workshops about cultural heritage in times of war were organized.

A specific committee was created for dealing with this particular issue. Subsequently this committee founded the international NGO WATCH (World Association for the Protection of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage in Times of Armed Conflicts) and Talal Akasheh was appointed Chairman of the Board of Trustees. Among the objectives of this NGO, we could stress the support of international campaigns for documenting and protecting historical places and goods by means of an international system of data storage, the organization of training activities in cooperation with universities and museums, and the organization of archaeological excavations and restoration and conservation projects, among others.

Third International Conference on Science and Technology in Archaeology and Conservation: Zarqa, Dead Sea, 2004

The third conference was aimed at showing the research works on cultural heritage carried out in the Mediterranean area thanks to the support of the European Commission. The stone conservation project “PRODOMEA” was presented within the framework of the conference and it was one of the focal thematic addressed made possible by the collaboration of the Queen Rania Institute and the Italian Association “ICIE”.

Fourth International Conference on Science and Technology in Archaeology and Conservation: Amman, Zarqa 2005.

The working groups, structure and contents of the fourth conference were convened in accordance with the following topics covered:

• Tourism

• Archaeology

• Water Management

• 3D Virtual Reality of the Built Heritage

• Protection of Cultural Heritage in Times of Conflict and Natural Disasters

• Conservation and Preservation of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage

• Archaeological Landscape Management

• International Cooperation on Cultural Heritage

• Ancient technologies applied to Cultural Heritage

Numerous cultural activities have been organized during the sessions of this conference, such as the current use of ancient theatres or the production of ancient pottery.

Fifth International Conference on Science and Technology in Archaeology and Conservation: Baeza, Spain 2007

In the Fifth Conference the following topics were stressed:

1 – Ancient Water Management in Spain Andalusia) and other parts of the World.

For many years ancient water systems have provided humanity with an important resource which have made it possible for them to survive both in mild and harsh environments.

These ingenious systems have also helped to protect the environment and natural habitats, including the fauna and flora that form the biodiversity of our ecosystems. Since our water needs have grown immensely since those times, we have a lot to learn from our ancestors.

2 – Tourism and Heritage at Risk:

• Tourism and Cultural Heritage (CH). The positive and negative impacts of Tourism

• Terrorism as a threat to Tourism and Cultural Heritage

• Heritage and War. How can we protect CH in times of war.

• The Hague Convention. Case studies from Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, Eastern Europe and elsewhere.

• Our Common Heritage. Arabs and Byzantines. The Campaigns and the Cultural Exchange.

• Natural Disasters and Risk Assessment.

• Threatened Sites and Rescue Excavations.

• Projects after Excavations.

3 – Archaeology and Architecture. The Umayyad Architecture in the East and in Andalusia.

Transmission of the Arab Science and Technology in the Iberian Peninsula. Benefits of the cultural exchange.

4 – Stone and Mortar Preservation Problems: Weathering Studies and Restoration- Conservation Actions Sixth International Conference on Science and Technology in Archaeology and Conservation

The Sixth Conference was organised under the kind patronage of Her Royal Highness Princess Wijdan El- Hashemi, Ambassador of Jordan to Italy, HE Talib Rifai Secretary General of UNWTO, the Director General of ICCROM, the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Italian Ministry of Culture, and the Italian Foreign Trade Commission.

The Sixth International Conference came to Rome after its previous editions at the Dead Sea, Jordan and in Baeza, Spain.

Rome, the ancient capital of the Roman Empire with the great archaeological sites and museums is a befitting place for this event. The conference, this time, was a tribute to the Italian passion for cultural heritage and its conservation, and the great contributions that Italian Science, Archaeology, Architecture and Engineering have offered to the understanding of past cultures and to the Science of Conservation.

Organized mainly by WATCH (World Association for the Protection of the Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage during Times of Armed Conflict) and the Legado Andalusi of Granada Spain, the Department of Antiquities of Jordan, the Queen Rania’s Institute for Tourism and Heritage of the Hashemite University in Jordan, the Board of Architects of Rome and Province and the Italian National Museum of Oriental Art, the Sixth Conference focused on documentation as an important tool in the protection and management of Cultural Heritage. It is also an important means for risk planning and management. Several experts were invited in an advanced workshop to study in depth this heme. An advanced workshop invited several experts to elaborate on this main theme. The conference owed its success also to the Honourary Committee for raising the moral and financial support needed to ensure the success of the efforts made, especially thanks to the personal engagement of HE Mr. Akel Biltaji and his efforts in helping the organization.

Not only he considered that it was his duty as Advisor to His Majesty King Abdullah of Jordan on Tourism and Heritage or his capacity as Chairman of the Jordanian Senate Committee on Tourism and Heritage, but he enjoyed the support that he kindly gave to the conference.

Main topics:

• Archaeology

• Tourism: Positive and Negative Impacts

• Cultural Heritage Management

• AIS: Archaeological Information System

• GIS: Geographical Information System

• Information Technologies

• Stone Weathering

• Restoration of Monuments and Historical Artifacts

• Policies and Strategies in Conservation and Preservation of Tangible and Intangible Cultural Heritage

• Archaeometry

• Museology

• Imaging and Non-Destructive Techniques and their Applications

• Ancient Arts and Technologies

• Risk Assessment and Disaster Preparedness.

• Modern Documentation Processes and their Importance in the Protection of Cultural Heritage

• Management and Conservation of Archaeological Landscapes

• Vandalism

• Protection of Cultural Heritage during Times of Conflict

• Ancient Water Management Technologies

The main theme of this conference was the “Documentation and Risk Management of the Cultural Heritage” Thus an advanced workshop for several experts focused on this topic.

While documentation has long been recognised as an important tool for Cultural Resource Management and the Conservation and Preservation of CH sites and artifacts, it gained an important space also in Risk Management, not only in the case of natural threats such as weathering, flash floods, corrosion and earthquakes, but also in case of anthropogenic agents. This is especially true of threats posed by Wars and Terrorism. Therefore, this conference focused on new methods of documentation, digital or otherwise, how these processes serve the purpose of protection of the Cultural Heritage and, how especially this is useful before, during, and after conflicts occur.

Case studies, where documentation of the Cultural Heritage:

• Techniques, Processes and Tools (to include tangible and Intangible CH)

• Comparison of old and new tools of documentation.

• Digital methods and spatially based databases

• Archaeological Information Systems, GIS and Electronic Databases

• Photogrammetry, 3D techniques, Virtual presentations and Multimedia

• Risk management. Documentationas a tool for conservation, risk management, and day to day management of sites and historic collections

• The value of documentation for the protection of CH in troubled areas of the world

• Evaluation of various approaches and techniques of documentation

• Best Practice approaches

Workshop:

In line with tradition set in its previous editions, a workshop on the protection of cultural heritage from the ravages of war and terrorism was convened by WATCH at the fifth conference.

Institutions Partcipating in the first five Conferences

• Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt
• Benaki Museum, Greece
• Center of Architectural Training and Studies (GOPHYC). Yemen
• Centro Ricerche Archeologichee Scavi di Torino, Italy
• Deemed University. Center for Earth Research and Environment Management, India
• Department of Antiquities of the Ministry of Tourism, Jordan
• European Jewellery Techniques Network, Belgium
• Fine Arts Faculty, Dokuz Eylul University,Turkey
• IMT. Lucca Institute of Advanced Studies, Italy
• Institute of History of Material Culture of Genoa, Italy
• Iranian Cultural Heritage and Tourism Organization, Irán
• Islamic Art University of Tabriz, Irán
• Lebanese American University, Lebanon
• Legado Andalusí Foundation. Ruta Bética Romana, Spain
• Ministry of Culture, Damascus University, Syria
• Ministry of Culture, Directorate of Prehistoric and Classical Antiquities Hellenic, Greece
• National Autonomous University of Mexico. Anthropologic Research Institute, Mexico
• National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS), France
• National Research Foundation, Greece
• Portuguese Institute of Archaeology, Portugal
• Queen Rania Institute, Jordan
• Technical University of Denmark, Denmark
• UNESCO
• Università di Roma ‘La Sapienza’, Italy
• University of Adelaide. School of Architecture, Landscape, Architecture and Urban Design, Australia
• University of Arizona, Brown University, USA
• University of Athens, Greece
• University of Bologna, Italy
• University of Florence, Italy
• University of Malaysia, Malaysia
• University of Palermo, Faculty of Architecture, Italy
• University of Tehran,Department of Archaeology, Irán
• University of Toronto, Canada
• University of Tubingen, Germany
• University of Turin, Italy
• Weizmann Institute, Israel
• Yarmouk University, Department of Anthropology, Jordan
• Yilidz University. Department of Traditional Turkish Arts,Turkey

PARTICIPATING UNIVERSITIES AND INSTITUTIONS IN THE SIXTH CONFERENCE

• Al-Mashhad Palestinian Institute of Cultural Landscape, Palestine

• Amman Antiquities Office, Jordan

• Amsterdam University, The Netherlands

• Andrei Rublev Museum, Moscow, Russia

• Art and Restoration, Turkey

• Birzeit University, Palestine

• Bowling Green State University, USA

• Cairo University, Egypt

• Center for Earth Research & Environment Management, India

• Centre for Built Environment, India

• Centre of Advanced Study, Aligarh Muslim University, India

• Centro di Ricerca Progetto San Marco (CRPSM) CITAR, Portugal

• Institute for Nanostructured Materials, Italy CNR ITABC, Italy

• Commission to Preserve National Monuments, Bosnia-Herzegovina

• EJTN, Belgium

• El Legado Andalusi, Spain

• Elliniki Etairia, Greece

• ENEA, Italy

• Engineering of Historic and Antique Buildings, Israel

• Environment office Kish, Free Zone Organization,Iran

• Estonian Ministry of Culture, Estonia

• Facoltà di Ingegneria, Potenza, Italy

• Faculty of Science University of Roma “La Sapienza”, Italy

• FOCUH Friends of Cultural Heritage, Turkey

• Friends of Archaeology, Jordan

• Generaldirektion Kulturelles Erbe – Institut für Archäologie und Naturwissenschaften, Germany

• Hashemite University, Jordan

• Global center for environmental studies and life sustainability, Jordan

• Hebron Rehabilitation Committee, Palestine

• ICARE (International Center for Art Economics) – University Ca’ Foscari of Venice, Italy

• ICOMOS – Italian Committee,Italy

• ICCROM

• IMT Lucca Instititute of Advanced Studies, Lucca, Italy

• Institute for Photogrammetry Institute of archaeology of Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

• Council of Europe, Itinéraires Culturels DG6, Luxembourg,

• Centro Interdipartimentale di Ingegneria per i Beni Culturali, Università Federico II, Italy,

• Jadavpur University, India

• Jordan Museum

• Jordan University, Amman

• Jordanian Airlines

• Kirklareli University, Turkey

• Lebanese American University, Lebanon

• Legambiente, Italy

• Mega Media Creative Development, Egypt

• Ministry of Culture, Heritage and Activities, Italy

• National Museum of Oriental Art, Italy

• National Museum of Macedonia

• National Museum of Nepal

• National Technical University of Athens, Greece

• Netherlands National Commission for UNESCO

• Old City Rehabilitation and Development Fund, Tbilisi, Georgia

• Oregon State University, USA

• Palestinian Institution for Cultural Landscape, Palestine

• Philadelphia University, Amman, Jordan

• Politecnico di Bari, Italy

• Queen Rania Institute of Tourism and Heritage, Jordan

• Research and Education Group Historic Scotland

• Regione Autonoma Valle d’Aosta, Soprintendenza per i Beni e le Attività Culturali, Italy

• RIWAQ, Center for Architectural conservation, Palestine

• RSS Royal Scientific Society, Jordan

• Rural Development Community Programme (RCDP), Nepal

• School of Law University of Waikato, New Zealand

• Selcuk University, Turkey

• Shiraz University, Iran

• Spanish Archaelogical Mission, Jordan

• Tabriz Islamic Art University, Iran

• The Hashemite University, Jordan

• The Senate House, Jordan

• Tourism and Heritage Committee, Jordan

• Trakya University Dept. of Architecture, Turkey

• UNESCO Amman Office, Jordan

• Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, Spain

• Universidade Catòlica Portuguesa, Portugal

• Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Italy

• Università di Foggia, Italy

• University of the 7th of April, Lybia

• Università di Roma Tor Vergata, Italy

• Università di Urbino, Italy

• Università Politecnica delle Marche, Faculty of Engineering, Italy

• Université Versailles Saint-Quentin en Yvelines (UVSQ), France

• University College of London, UK

• University of Antwerp, Belgium

• University of Bologna, Italy

• Khatolieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium

• University of Zielona Góra, Poland

• University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Italy

• University of Tehran, Iran

• University of Waterloo, Canada

• UNWTO

• US Forest Service, USA

• Marine Army Force (reserve), USA

• USDA Forest Service, USA

• Van der Waals-Zeeman Instituut, Netherlands

• Wandwerk GmbH, Germany

• WATCH

• Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan

• Ylidiz Technical University, Turkey