Iraq Scheme: Training in the UK
The first part of the Iraq scheme training programme is held at the British Museum in the UK.
Here, participants are introduced to the core challenges facing cultural heritage, together with case studies of some of the responses that have proved successful both in the UK and internationally. Other sessions cover legal aspects of cultural heritage protection and the significance and value of heritage conventions in combating the illicit trade of antiquities.
The training is delivered by British Museum specialists and a variety of invited expert speakers from institutions such as UCL, World Monuments Fund and Historic England.
Skills gained
Skills gained
The London training also includes an introduction to many of the key technical skills integral to modern archaeology.
These range from recording and documentation (including photography, photogrammetry, drawing and illustration) to environmental archaeology, geophysical techniques, geomatics recording (GPS and GIS) and the manipulation of satellite imagery.
Off-site training in surveying has included the use of state-of-the-art ‘multi-stations’ for recording buildings and monuments.
Post-excavation activities
Post-excavation activities
There is also a focus on post-excavation activities, such as finds processing, packing and transferring objects from the field to the museum and conservation. These include sessions on the theory and practice of remedial and preventive conservation.
Finally, the programme addresses communication as an essential skill in heritage management, both in the presentation and interpretation of sites and museum objects, as well as wider communication with local communities and the media.
Travel to the UK
Travel to the UK
While in the UK, the participants are taken on guided tours of archaeological digs with expert collaborators, such as Oxford Archaeology, Museum of London Archaeology and Canterbury Archaeological Trust.
This introduces them to the funding and coordination process of archaeology within the UK, as well as exploring the key techniques used.
The city of London is also examined closely as a case study of post-war reconstruction. Participants learn how the city was rebuilt after the Blitz and assess which reconstructions and restorations were successful and why.
