The Iraq War & Archaeology (IW&A)
The Iraq War & Archaeology (IW&A) project documents and informs about the impact of the Iraq War on the archaeological heritage of Iraq. On a continuing basis, information is gathered from web sources (published in English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, etc.) as well as from cultural-heritage, archaeology, military and government professionals. If necessary, this is translated into English. Relevant information is extracted, reviewed and occasionally commented upon to be made available mainly via the project web site (http://www.archaeos.org/iwa).
The site provides a balanced, knowledgable and exhaustive but still accessible one-stop source of reference for scholars, journalists, policy makers as well as the general public. The news and information is archived in semimonthly archives going back to April 2003.
Started in early April 2003 as "The 2003 Iraq War & Archaeology," the project's founder, editor and director is Dr. Francis Deblauwe. This is a joint project with the Institute of Oriental Studies of the University of Vienna (Austria) where the site is mirrored (http://iwa.univie.ac.at). Co-directors are Dr. David Nelson Gimbel (Archaeos, Inc.) and Prof. Dr. Gebhard Selz (University of Vienna, Austria).
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Extra web site features include an estimate of the losses at the National Museum in Baghdad, a list of archaeological sites known to have been looted/damaged, a list of relevant external web sites, a Satire & Humor page, etc. The Project also publishes a free digital series, IW&A Documents. Click here to enter the Iraq War & Archaeology (IW&A) Project |
Vijayanagara, India
From December 10, 2000 to March 1, 2004.
Vijayanagara, which means "City of Victory" was the capital city of a Hindu empire, which dominated southern India geopolitically from the 14th - 16th century. A UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed under the name "Group of Monuments at Hampi," Vijayanagara is also considered by UNESCO to be an "endangered" site.
The central city consists of a fortified royal residential quarter bordered by temple-centered religious communities and occupies an area of some 20 sq. km. It is surrounded by a larger metropolitan region that is estimated to occupy approximately 550 sq. km.
Since December of 2000, Archaeos has been working in cooperation with the Karnataka Department of Archaeology and Museums to conduct a surface archaeology project, three-dimensionally mapping the remains of two portions of the ancient city.
The first area, which is the major focus of Archaeos' research, lies topographically along a long ridge line that is situated within the fortification walls of the Royal Center. This area, known as the North Ridge, contains the remains of many hundreds of small temples and buildings that have been largely destroyed and have thus far been poorly understood.
Archaeos' cartographic and architectural project has already determined that the now largely denuded North Ridge, which was long believed to have been only sparsely inhabited was in fact densely populated. The results of this project indicate that the North Ridge should now be considered a central part of the urban core.
Archaeos is also involved in a smaller project, re-mapping a second area of the city known as the Noblemen's Quarter. Excavated by Indian archaeologists, the Noblemen's Quarter provides an important opportunity to better understand the spatial organization and functioning of a series of elite, interrelated building complexes by means of using modern CAD and surveying technologies.
The project, currently in its fourth field season, is directed by Dr. David N. Gimbel (Director, Archaeos) and has been co-directed by Dr. John M. Fritz (Adjunct Associate Professor of Anthropology, University of Pennsylvania).
Visit our pages describing our work at Vijayanagara.
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Vijayanagara Mapping Project Season 1: December 10, 2000 to February 12, 2001 |
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Tell Arbid, Syria
From July 31, 1999 to September 9, 1999 Archaeos and the Oriental Institute of the University of Vienna conducted excavations at Tell Arbid. The team found the remains of a third millenium housing settlement (c. 2400 BCE) consisting of mud-brick buildings, passageways, courtyards, and associated small finds as well as later intrusive Hellenistic graves.
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Also visit University of Vienna's site about the expedition to Tell Arbid.
