Call for Participation – Workshop on Management of Archaeological Parks, ICAHM Salalah Conference

The following is provided by Annemarie Willems of the 2016 ICAHM Conference Organising Committee

Dear Colleagues,

I would like to draw your attention to the following initiative headed by ICAHM Scientific Committee member Dr. Alicia Castillo Mena of the University Computense in Madrid. Dr. Castillo is proposing a workshop entitled ‘Connecting People in the Management of Archaeological Parks,’ which will take place during the ICAHM / ICOMOS Oman Salalah Conference; please find the call for participation attached here.

Kind regards,
Annemarie Willems

Organising Committee – 2016 ICAHM Conference, Salalah, Oman

annemarie.willems@icahm.icomos.org  / www.icomos.org/icahm/oman_home.html

ICAHM 2016 Conference Archaeological Park as World Heritage Site – Management Strategy for the Future, 2-5 May, Salalah, Oman – www.icomos.org/icahm/oman_home.html

Details of Salalah Conference Excursions

The following text was provided by Annemarie Willems on behalf of the 2016 ICAHM Conference Organising Committee

Dear Colleagues,

This is the third announcement for the 2016 ICAHM Conference: Archaeological Park as World Heritage Site – A Management Strategy for the Future, which will be held at Salalah, Oman, 2-5 May.

In this announcement we would like to draw your attention to the excursions to the Land of Frankincense World Heritage Site.

In the late afternoon of May 2^nd we will visit Khor Rori and, on May 3^rd or 4^th, after the sessions (the exact date is still to be determined), we will visit Al-Baleed Archaeological Park. These ports vividly illustrate the trade in frankincense that flourished in this region for many centuries as one of the most important trading activities of the ancient and medieval world. Please visithttp://www.omanwhs.gov.om/English/Frank/default.asp for more information.
These excursions are included in the conference registration fee.

On May 5th, the last day of the conference, we will drive into the desert to visit the remains of the caravan oasis of Shisr/Wubar and the frankincense trees of Wadi Dakwah.
This excursion is also included in the conference registration fee. Please visit http://www.omanwhs.gov.om/English/Frank/default.asp for more information.
The exact time is to be announced, but the excursion will run from approximately 9 am to 7 pm.

We have extended the abstract submission deadline until the 21^st of March. For  more information, please visit the conference website: http://icahm.icomos.org/oman_submitpaper.html

If you want to take advantage of the early bird registration fee, you have until the end of February! (http://icomos.org/icahm/oman_register.html)

A preliminary program will soon be distributed.

We look forward to seeing you in Salalah!

Kind regards, on behalf of the Organising Committee,

Annemarie Willems

conference@icahm.icomos.org / Annemarie.willems@icahm.icomos.org /

ICAHM 2016 Conference Archaeological Park as World Heritage Site – Management Strategy for the Future, 2-5 May, Salalah, Oman – www.icomos.org/icahm/oman_home.html

Draft Guidelines Now Available in Spanish!

Please click here to read the draft guidelines in Spanish! You may also click here to read them in English and here to read them in French.

Draft Guidelines Sent to ICOMOS National Committees, Scientific Committees, and Academy

On 19 February 2016, the draft guidelines were sent by the ICOMOS International Office in Paris to all ICOMOS national committees, scientific committees, and the ICOMOS Academy for comment prior to the ICOMOS Executive Meeting scheduled in Paris for 7-9 March 2016. The comments are therefore due on 4 March 2016. Comments should be sent to executive@icahm.icomos.org by that date. On 20 February, the guidelines were sent directly to all of the Florence workshop participants, as well as to several others who have made comments and suggestions and have expressed great interest in working with us as we proceed.

Given the benefit of comment and discussion by as many as possible of the parties with an interest in the content of the guidelines, there will be another call for comments after the early March ICOMOS Executive Meeting in Paris. Over the next several months, those comments will be most welcomed, and they will be used to make further revisions to the guidelines prior to the ICOMOS General Assembly for 2016, to be held in Istanbul and now tentatively scheduled for 15-21 October.

The draft guidelines submitted were approximately 2,500 words in length, developed from an original draft of over 25,000 words. The length of the document was much reduced in order to better conform to the length and organization of existing ICOMOS doctrinal texts. We can see very clearly now, though, that a more comprehensive description of each step itemized in the guidelines as we submitted them would be very useful. This more detailed document we might call a workbook, and we would like to prepare that in the months between now and the ICOMOS General Assembly and Conference, which is to be held in New Delhi in the fall of 2017.

We encourage as many of you with an interest in the guidelines as possible to attend the ICAHM conference, which will be held in Salalah, Oman, 2-5 May 2016, and will include sessions and discussions about and pertinent to the guidelines. From 23-25 February 2015, Salalah was the venue of the International Conference on Archaeological Parks and Sites.

The draft guidelines can be seen here in English: Guidelines EN 17.02.16, and here in French: Guidelines_FR_17.02.16. The cover letter can be seen here in English: ICOMOS International Scientific and National Committees Letter EN, and here in French: ICOMOS International Scientific and National Committees Letter_FR.

For the benefit of the reader after all of that text, we also attach a photo album from the  aforementioned ICOMOS Oman Conference on Archaeological Parks, courtesy of Muati Al-Muati. Please enjoy!

Inauguration of the Frankincense Festival at Wadi Dawkah (Natural Park of Frankincense Trees)

Inauguration of the Frankincense Festival at Wadi Dawkah (Natural Park of Frankincense Trees)

Inauguration of the Frankincense Festival at Wadi Dawkah (Natural Park of Frankincense Trees)

Site visit – Albaleed Archaeological Park

Site visit – Albaleed Archaeological Park

Site visit – Albaleed Archaeological Park

Site visit – Albaleed Archaeological Park

Site visit – Albaleed Archaeological Park

Site visit – Sumhuram Archaeological Park

Site visit – Sumhuram Archaeological Park

Site visit – Sumhuram Archaeological Park

ICOMOS Oman conference

ICOMOS Oman conference

ICOMOS Oman conference

ICOMOS Oman conference

ICOMOS Oman conference

ICOMOS Oman conference

ICOMOS Oman conference

ICOMOS Oman conference

Salalah Conference – Early Registration Open!

The following is provided by Annemarie Willems, organizer of the 2016 ICAHM conference in Salalah, Oman

Dear Colleagues,
We would like to encourage you to register for the conference as early as possible and therefore we have created a special
‘early bird fee’. If you register before the 1st of March 2016 the registration fee is as follows:

	Early bird before 1 March	Regular registration fee
Foreign participants from developed countries	US$ 175	US$ 200
Foreign participants from developing countries	US$   85	US$ 100
Students from developed countries	US$   55	US$   60
Students from developing countries	US$   35	US$   40
Students from Oman	US$   20	US$   25

                         Above: Promotional photos of the Rotana Hotel Resort, Salalah, Oman

2016 ICAHM Conference in Salalah, Oman – mark your calendars!

This post and brochure have been provided by the Organising Committee of the 2016 ICAHM Conference 

Dear colleagues,

The ICOMOS International Scientific Committee for Archaeological Heritage Management (ICAHM) thanks ICOMOS Oman and the Office of the Adviser to His Majesty the Sultan for Cultural Affairs for co-sponsoring the 2016 ICAHM conference, which will be held at Salalah, Oman, 2 through 5 May 2016.

The theme for the 2016 Conference is: Archaeological Park as World Heritage Site – A Management Strategy for the Future. The essential value of any archaeological site is dependent upon the degree to which its archaeological materials are kept intact and in context. Because of this, access to archaeological sites is restricted to government authorities and approved researchers in many countries. In a World Heritage setting, however, an archaeological site becomes public space, one that simultaneously promotes and threatens its scientific and historic value. The focus of this conference will be the sustainable management of archaeological World Heritage Sites through negotiating these tensions in planning, inventory and evaluation; facility construction and operation; building management capacity; and inclusion of local stakeholders. Other themes of the 2016 Conference will include the economics of World Heritage development, public valuation, and management; preserving archaeological remains in conflict areas; remote sensing applications in management contexts; underwater archaeology; expanding the educational role of archaeological parks; and several salient topics in Middle Eastern and East African archaeology. See the abstract submission page for details.

Our conference website is at: http://www.icomos.org/icahm/oman_home.html

Please visit the website for information about registration, abstract submission, and details for accommodations and travel. Please follow this hyperlink to view the conference brochure: ICAHM Oman Conference Brochure.

We look forward to seeing you in Salalah!

The Organising Committee – 2016 ICAHM Conference,Salalah, Oman

conference@icahm.icomos.org  / www.icomos.org/icahm/oman_home.html

Florence Workshop: Next Steps

Text by Dr. Douglas Comer, ICAHM President

It was an enormous pleasure to spend our days together in Florence! We have begun assembling the sections that all of you helped to formulate. We are putting these together in a draft document that we will make available for comment. We will also invite comments from others with special expertise in certain of the five sections discussed at the workshop.

Below is the timetable for the production of the guidelines. It is quite condensed because we must send the first draft to the ICOMOS headquarters in Paris very soon.

Timing of Guidelines Review and Submittal

• The consolidated first draft of guidelines with contributions from the five section authors will be sent to workshop members by 31 December 2015.
• Comments from members will be due by 10 January 2016. The short review time is because the draft guidelines must be sent in English and French (and possibly Spanish) to the ICOMOS Secretariat by 31 January 2016.
• The ICOMOS Secretariat will send the draft to all National Committees and International Scientific Committees as soon as they receive it.
• Comments will be due from National Committees and International Scientific Committees by 28 February 2016.
• The guidelines and comments will then be discussed at the ICOMOS Board meeting in March.
• The Secretariat might then ask for revisions and a second round of comments prior to the annual ICOMOS General Assembly and Advisory Committee meeting, which is tentatively scheduled for 15-21 October 2016 in Istanbul. (The exact dates will be established early in 2016.)
• The Advisory Committee will hopefully submit the document for approval by the Board in Istanbul.
• The Board or Advisory Committee might request comments after the meeting in Istanbul.
• The guidelines and any new comments will be discussed at the ICOMOS Board meeting in Paris in March 2017.
• It is hoped that, after this,the Advisory Committee will recommend approval of the guidelines to the Board, and that the Board will recommend approval of the guidelines as a doctrinal text at the New Delhi Triennial ICOMOS General Assembly, the tentative dates for which are 19-25 November 2017.

So, you see, the next few months in particular will be very busy!

Best regards and best wishes for end of year celebrations!

Afternoon of the third day at the Florence Workshop

Now that all the ICAHM members, observers, and student observers have returned home or headed to their next meeting (busy group), it’s a good time to recap the very last session of the Florence Workshop. After a traditional Florentine lunch and a small discussion session back at the conference venue, each of the five section drafters presented their revised draft guidelines. It was clear that all the participants’ input had been considered in the revisions, and the workshop’s overarching themes – of community involvement, sustainability, accountability, responsive and dynamic management, and integration with existing doctrinal text and guidelines – continued to be at the forefront of conversation.

Most of the workshop participants (Photo courtesy of Maya Hmeidan) 

After the traditional farewell photo, all that was left was the farewell dinner, a wonderful celebration of Florence’s culinary heritage. Accordingly, the next morning, workshop participants who didn’t have to rush to the airport participated in one, two, or all of three excursions to heritage sites around Florence: the ruins of the Roman Theater under the Palazzo Vecchio, the Archaeological Museum, and the Uffizi Gallery. These visits encapsulated the importance of protecting local and global heritage alike for posterity.

Dr. Charles Musiba gives the farewell dinner’s bruschetta a ‘magnifico’ review (Photo courtesy of Dr. John Peterson)

Dr. Ian Lilley and Dr. John Peterson rub Porcellino’s nose to ensure their return to Florence (Photo courtesy of Dr. John Peterson)

This is an excellent time to once again thank ICAHM’s partners in Florence, the Fondazione Romualdo Del Bianco and Life Beyond Tourism. Their staffers put together an excellent, well-organized, and atmospheric workshop, one that couldn’t have taken place anywhere except Florence. The Del Bianco Foundation has a long history of facilitating intercultural conversation and cooperation, and this workshop was no exception. We look forward to working with Paolo Del Bianco, Michaela Zackova Rossi, Simone Giometti, and the rest of the team soon.

 

Once the draft guidelines have been finalized, we’ll release them for public perusal and comment. Stay tuned!

Morning of the third day at the Florence Workshop

Workshop participants listen intently to a presentation (Photo courtesy of Dr. Douglas Comer)

In the morning, the five facilitators of the breakout groups summarized their group discussions from the day before. The main shared conundrums centered around the difficulty of writing guidelines that are neither too general nor too specific: guidelines that are too general are easy to misunderstand or evade, while guidelines that are too specific will almost certainly be difficult to apply to the wide range of sites and conditions that comprise the World Heritage List.

The discussion immediately following the recaps was extremely useful. Workshop participants variously underlined the importance of mandating strong, ongoing community participation in management plans; helped clarify the question of why these proposed guidelines are necessary and important (at the moment, although there are many UNESCO, ICOMOS, and ICAHM documents that govern management plans, community involvement, and so on, there are so many of them, in so many different places, that many writers of nomination dossiers find it nearly impossible to review the relevant literature – having one definitive reference document for these guidelines would be deeply helpful to many heritage practitioners and States Parties); and the need to cite the text and language of those normative documents, as well as to anticipate likely comments from heritage-concerned entities when writing the draft guidelines.

After the coffee break, several areas of major overlap and remaining gaps in the draft guidelines were identified, and then the breakout groups reformed to revise yesterday’s work. Focused discussions and frenzied typing echoed all over the conference room in preparation for the afternoon’s presentation of the newly improved draft guidelines.

‘Inclusion of and working with stakeholders’ group, led by Dr. Helaine Silverman

‘Management Facilities’ group, led by Dr. John Peterson

‘Inventory and Evaluation’ group, led by Dr. Ian Lilley

Workgroups hard at work (hardly working?) (All photos by Annemarie Willems)

‘Best Practices in World Heritage: People and Communities’

In light of the primacy of the issue of community involvement in drafting these guidelines, ICAHM member Dr. Alicia Castillo Mena requested we post a link to the ICAHM document entitled ‘Best Practices in World Heritage: People and Communities’. 

Click here to open Best Practices in World Heritage Sites: People and Communities in another window.