“ArcheoCDN. Archaeological Centre of Scientific Excellence” is an interdisciplinary project realized in the years 2019–2020 by the Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology, University of Warsaw (PCMA) with funding from a DIALOG grant awarded by the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education.
The project aims to implement in PCMA’s activities the newest trends in archaeology and cultural heritage management. It focuses on research conducted in the region of ancient Nubia. Combining traditional archaeological approach with new methods of science popularization, it is carried out in many fields. Special emphasis is put on disseminating the results to a wide audience.
Specialists working for the project used virtual reality to reconstruct two Christian monasteries from Nubia, which had been studied and documented by PCMA missions: the monastery in Ghazali and the Great Monastery of St. Anthony in Old Dongola. These reconstructions have been displayed on this dedicated website to be accessible to everybody.
The “ArcheoCDN” project also includes fieldwork in Sudan. A geological study will provide information on the geoarchaeological history of the region between the Third and Fourth Nile Cataracts. A geomagnetic survey of Old Dongola and a field prospection of the Bayuda Desert will help in choosing new archaeological sites for future excavations, which will increase our knowledge of ancient Nubia.
At the same time, the project implements a local development strategy supporting the inhabitants of el-Ghaddar, a village adjacent to the site of Old Dongola, where archaeologists from the PCMA have been working for decades. After a social reconnaissance, actions were undertaken which aim to engage the people of el-Ghaddar in local heritage management and stimulate the economic development of the micro-region using its heritage.
The digitization of the materials stored by the Documentation archiving department of the PCMA is another important part of the project. Not only will it preserve in digital format the records of excavations and conservation works, but it will also make them available to a wider audience through computer databases.
The project will end with a conference on archaeology and business, showing the potential of archaeological discoveries and how they can be used in different areas of the economy, such as tourism, publishing, or regional trade.
Grant Dialog
- Head: Artur Obłuski
- Coordinator: Katarzyna Radziwiłko