Reality of Life. A synthesis of Archaeology and Natural sciences

The workshop will be opened by his excellency, the minister for antiquities, Prof. Dr. Mamdouh Eldamaty on Sunday, 30th November 2014, 10 a.m. in the lecture hall of the Ministry of Antiquities on Zamalek.

Further lectures will be given at the same day, same location and from 1st-3rd December 2014 daily from 4 p.m. onwards in Aswan, Nubia Museum lecture hall.

There are no registration requirements!

Workshop Background

With the advance of scientific techniques and machinery in general, archaeological methods of the 21st century likewise have improved considerably: Archaeological investigations of historic strata have followed the example of prehistoric archaeology and moved on from studying mainly the macroscopic record to the microscopic and molecular level.  However, possibility to conduct such analyses is depending on factors like preservation of material, excavation strategies, storing possibilities and, of course, the availability of processing facilities.

The workshop "Reality of Life" – organised by the German Archaeological Institute Cairo in cooperation with the Ministry of Antiquities – will address the above mentioned methods and factors at the example of various types of archaeological finds.  It will be the first step of a new project under the same name on Elephantine island, which will focus especially on the knowledge which can be gained from "normal" archaeological finds through the use of natural-scientific methods and technologies.

The workshop is following three main aims:

1) Establishment of new strategies in the archaeological fieldwork, sampling and storing of finds, which are aiming on the recovery of suitable material for archaeometric analyses.

2) Inauguration of an annual meeting of all scientist involved in the future work of the project "Reality of Life" to discuss strategies and results in the archaeological and analytical work.

3) Discussion of the collaboration with Egyptian colleagues from the ministry and universities especially concerning laboratory facilities as well as the realisation of skill enhancement trainings on site and through scholarship programs abroad.

In the five days of the workshop these aims are approached from various angles: On one hand, site, storeroom and laboratory visits, with the group of invited participants only, shall generate the basis for daily discussions of the above mentioned matters; on the other hand, public lectures in Cairo and Aswan shall provide information on methods, possibilities and problems of modern archaeometrical techniques to a wider scientific audience.