MOSAIKON is a collaborative initiative dedicated to improving the conservation, presentation and management of mosaics in the southern and eastern Mediterranean region. The initiative is a partnership between ICCROM, the Getty Conservation Institute, the Getty Foundation, and the International Committee for the Conservation of Mosaics (ICCM). MOSAIKON builds capacity, developing replicable models of best practice, and promotes the dissemination and exchange of information regarding the conservation and management of archaeological mosaics, both those in situ and those in museums and storage.
As part of MOSAIKON, several courses to train conservation technicians in the treatment and maintenance of mosaics were carried out on archaeological sites in North Africa and the Middle East.
The emphasis was on practical training. However, key components were first presented theoretically with classroom-based lessons that introduced different aspects of mosaic conservation from documentation to reburial. Slide presentations were developed for the lessons to complement the previously published handbook, Technician Training for the Maintenance of In Situ Mosaics and supporting reference materials made available to the field.
While the original focus of the lessons was the conservation of in situ mosaics, the training courses evolved to include detached and re-laid mosaics, mosaics in storage, as well as the conservation of architectural remains and decorative surfaces, such as walls and wall plasters which often surround mosaic pavements on sites.
These 24 different subject lessons are a training resource for professionals engaged in the training of conservation technicians. Lessons are available in English, French and Arabic.