Bulla Regia Model Conservation Project

The city of Bulla Regia was established in approximately the 5th century BCE and reached the height of its prosperity in the 2nd and 3rd centuries. Most of its buildings date from this era. The site is unique among the numerous archaeological sites in Tunisia due to its below-ground architecture and because most of the mosaics adorning the houses have remained in situ, offering visitors the opportunity to view polychrome mosaics in their original context. Currently, almost four hundred mosaics have been excavated and remain exposed at the site.

This project builds on the training of technicians in Tunisia that took place over more than ten years in collaboration with the Institut National du Patrimoine. It relies on those trained technicians currently based at the archaeological site of Bulla Regia to carry out most of the mosaic conservation work. The project demonstrates the impact of such training activities and a sustainable approach to conservation practice through its reliance on local resources and materials.

The project also builds on past capacity-building activities in Tunisia for site managers responsible for sites with mosaics. These short courses and workshops focused on conservation and management of archaeological sites; however, it became clear that a model example of conservation planning for a site with a significant number of mosaics was needed. In response, the second component of the model field project is the development of a conservation and maintenance plan for the hundreds of excavated in situ mosaics at the site of Bulla Regia.

Conservation Institute: Thomas Roby, Project Manager; Beril Beçir-Şimşir, Leslie Friedman, Lucinda Schell, Sara Marandola, Getty Graduate Intern (2016-2017); Nityaa Iyer, Graduate Intern (2015–16); Iago Pozo, Graduate Intern, (2013–14); Thomas Bernecker, Graduate Intern, (2012–13); Juana Segura Escobar, Graduate Intern (2011–12)

Institut National du Patrimoine, Tunisia: Hamida Rhouma-Ghmari. Moheddine Chaouali, Faycel Jaouadi, Monaam al Ouanifi , Mondher Habachi, Habib Yahiaoui

World Monuments Fund: Jeff Allen, Gionata Rizzi

Livia Alberti, conservator; Ermanno Carbonara, conservator; Akhet Srl, documentation specialist; Cristina Caldi, conservator (2012); Anjo Weichbrodt, conservator (2013)