Partners

• Butrint National Park
• The Butrint Foundation
• ICCROM (International Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural Property)

Financial support

• Directorate-General of Cooperation for Development (DGCS), Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Italy
• UNESCO Venice Office - BRESCE

Duration: 4 weeks (28 August – 22 September 2006)

Place: Butrint National Park, Albania

Participants
Eleven participants from six countries, namely Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia and Serbia. The participants work in conservation institutions in the region.

Aim
By the end of the course, the participants had a better understanding of the methods and techniques available for specific diagnosis of stone, brick and related materials within archaeological sites, and the elements required to propose conservation treatments, based on ethical and practical considerations.

Description
As a follow-up to the courses in archaeological conservation held in Belgrade in 2004, at Diana-Karataš in 2005, and at Sirmium in 2006, this fourth regional course focused on the context analysis, diagnosis, and conservation treatments used in situ in archaeological sites. Using the Butrint National Park as a reference, the course initially provided an overview of principles of archaeological conservation and management. Using four specific case-studies within the site, the course then focused on the characteristics of archaeological materials (specifically brick, stone and decorative elements) and their alteration and decay. The case studies were used to prepare preliminary diagnoses, and then propose methods and practical interdisciplinary tools for conservation.  These proposals were then applied in a limited scope within the case studies. 

Methodology
The intensive programme included lectures, discussions, practical work on site, and study visits to other heritage sites in the region on the weekends. The participants had hands-on practice on specific treatments, which will be useful for conservation at other sites. At the end of the course, the participants produced and presented reports of their case-studies

Main achievements
By the end of the course, the participants had:

• enhanced their knowledge and skills on the characteristics and behaviour of materials;
• acquired skills for the preparation of diagnosis of stone and related materials;
• developed and presented proposals for the conservation and presentation of an archaeological site;
• shared experiences in the conservation and management of archaeological sites.

updated on: 13 April, 2010