Third Regional Course: Volubilis, Morocco

The third course in the series of regional training courses on the Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites with Mosaics was held May 2–19, 2017, at the World Heritage Site of Volubilis, Morocco, in partnership with the Direction du Patrimoine Culturel of Morocco.

This third course, like the previous courses in Tyre, Lebanon, and Paphos, Cyprus, covered all aspects of conserving and managing archaeological sites with in situ mosaics, including documentation and recording, site management planning, deterioration of materials, basic conservation interventions, and site presentation and interpretation. It included nearly twenty participants from Algeria, Cyprus, Lebanon, Mali, Morocco, and Tunisia.

Taught in French, the course consisted of three parts: an intensive three-week workshop, an extended mentoring period during which participants carried out individual projects at their home site or institution, and a final workshop.

The course concluded with a follow-up meeting in Rome that enabled participants to see other examples of site conservation and management, including those in an urban context; there were site visits within and outside of the city.

The meeting also provided an opportunity to meet Italian colleagues grappling with similar issues. Participants engaged in structured site exercises and presented their individual mentored projects. Their colleagues, the course instructors, and Italian heritage professionals provided feedback on their work.