Training the next generation of archaeological scientists

PlaCe-ITN will offer a wide range of training courses for the analytical study of the first synthetic materials produced by humankind, i.e., plasters and ceramics. It focusses on the technology, know-how, raw materials and tools developed and employed for their production, in different regions of the eastern Mediterranean, in pre-modern societies from prehistory to the post-medieval period. The courses are scheduled to fit into the core curricula and academic calendars of the hosting institutions; the majority will take place between January 2022 and December 2023.

The diversity of training events and their coherence with the designed research projects make PlaCe the ideal training ground for archaeological sciences (with a focus on pre-modern plasters and ceramics) and cultural heritage. The PlaCe ESRs will receive balanced and comprehensive academic training (see list below) ranging from archaeological theory and its integration with materials characterisation, artefact typological and technological variation, to the ethics of archaeology and cultural heritage promotion and protection.

Most of these courses are only open to the project ESRs, with only some of them being open to interested researchers outside the consortium. Details for each course will be announced here and by the organisers in due course. 

List of training courses that will be offered between 2022 and 2024

1. Archaeological theory - past and current issues, University of Cyprus - February 23th, 2022
2. Ceramic seriation and styles. The A-to-Z in ceramic studies, University of Cyprus - July 13th, 2022 
3. The interdisciplinary study of pre-modern plasters and ceramics. Approaching past societies with the analysis of their ceramicheritage, The Cyprus Institute - February 24th, 2022
4. Promoting and protecting cultural heritage (with special reference to ceramics and plasters) across the eastern Mediterranean, The Cyprus Institute - April 5th, 2022
5. Raw materials resourcing, material properties for durable plasters and ceramics, and craftspeople's technological choices, KU Leuven - February 25th, 2022
6. Beyond the eye-ball and below the slip: EDXRF, XRD and FTIR for the study of archaeological ceramics and plasters, KU Leuven - May 31st, 2022
7. Lime and gypsum: historic production, processing methods and modern archaeometric research,  KU Leuven
8. Ancient technological recipes and modern experimental reproduction of historic ceramics, The Cyprus Institute - July 11th, 2022
9. Ceramic slips and glazes in pre-modern societies. The technology of decoration and cultural aesthetics, The Cyprus Institute - July 12th, 2022
10. Micro-computed tomography for the dection of clay fabric microstructures and the stufy of pottery forming techniques, The Cyprus Institute  - October 4th, 2022
11. Analytical methodologies for the study of pre-modern ceramics and plasters: pXRF, SEM, optical polarising microscopy, and micropalaeontology in the service of archaeology, University College London
12. Mineralogy and geochemistry of raw materials for plasters and ceramics, British School at Athens
13. Ceramic petrography and elemental analysis, British School at Athens
14. Collecting and handling raw materials from the field to the fire, British School at Athens
15. Experimental reproduction of ancient plasters, UTAM
16. Data Management in CH: Data processing, Data integration, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Data Mining, NCSR "Demokritos" - November 7th-8th, 2022
17. 3D modelling: design choices and standardization, morphological classification, assessment of performance in computer simulations, NCSR "Demokritos"
18. Material performance and microstructure: raw material selection and processing, material testing, modelling of microstructure and simulation of performance, NCSR "Demokritos"
19. Multivariate statistics for archaeology and data processing, The Cyprus Institute
20. After your PhD, what? Grant writing, job market and networking in the field of archaeological sciences, University of Cambridge
21. Organic residue analysis as a complementary method to the technological and compositional study of archaeological ceramics, University of Cambridge
22. GIS – spatial prospection of analytical results. Mapping archaeological and analytical data, University College London

The PlaCe partnership will organise two scientific meetings, as follows:

Scientific meetings

23. Ceramic Petrology Group Meeting on methodological developments in the microscopic analysis of ancient ceramics and plasters, University College London

24. International Conference on pre-modern ceramics and plasters, The Cyprus Institute