The first was a two-week course in September 2022 entitled MOSAIKON Advanced Training on Preventive Conservation Measures for Archaeological Sites with Mosaics: Shelters & Reburial. The training—held in Jordan’s capital, Amman—was organized by the GCI and ICCROM, through its Sharjah Regional Office, in partnership with the Jordanian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Through theoretical sessions and field visits, 20 participants from 10 countries trained on methods of preventive conservation for archaeological sites with mosaics. The training included discussion sessions, theoretical reviews, group exercises and field visits to several of the most important historical mosaic sites in Jordan—primarily Jerash, Um al Rasas, and Madaba. It focused on two strategic and sustainable approaches to conserving archaeological sites: the use of protective shelters and reburial, both requiring a deep knowledge to implement. Through the exchange of experiences and the use of archaeological sites as outdoor classrooms, participants learned these complex techniques that can contribute to providing more stable environments for vulnerable archaeological remains, such as mosaics.
The second course, which focused on conservation of mosaics in storage, was held in Sidon, Lebanon, from October 10 to November 4, 2022, in collaboration with ICCROM-Sharjeh and the General Directorate of Antiquities of Lebanon. Through practical experience, 10 trainees learned a sustainable methodology for documenting and conserving lifted mosaics using lime mortars to stabilize and re-back them, along with preventive measures to store them long-term. Exercises were conducted with examples from a large collection of lifted mosaics from downtown Beirut that have been moved to Sidon and stored there on wooden panels with protective foam padding above each mosaic section, but without any backing since 1998. After assessing the condition of the mosaics, participants worked on one mosaic fragment to provide mortar backings and remove the deteriorated facings used to lift them decades earlier. The supervised operations by the trainees ended with the fragment being moved to a prototype metal storage shelving unit for its long-term preservation. With the skills and knowledge gained from this experience, the multi-year task of conserving the entire collection of mosaics from ancient Beirut can finally begin in the purpose-built storage facility equipped with a mosaic conservation laboratory and office specifically for this training worksite.
Through a series of interrelated activities, the MOSAIKON initiative has aimed to build capacity, develop replicable models of best practice, and promote dissemination and exchange of information regarding the conservation and management of archaeological mosaics, whether in situ, in museums, or in storage. Since 2008, the initiative has trained more than 200 conservation professionals from countries of the southern and eastern Mediterranean region. This dedicated community of practice now has the knowledge and skills to protect and preserve their archaeological heritage and to mentor future generations.
