Participant from WMF Cultural Heritage Conservation & Management Program Presents at GeoArchaeo 2 Conference in Baghdad

The Department of Archaeology at the College of Science of the University of Baghdad held their second conference on Geological studies in Archaeology (GeoArchaeo 2) in Baghdad from April 15-16, 2015. It was organized in cooperation with the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage, with the support of Asia Cell and World Monuments Fund.

Forty papers were presented by academics from various Iraqi universities and institutions. Geology and new technologies applied to archaeology and various case-studies were discussed during the two-day conference. Dr. Aqeel A. Al-Zubaidi, from the Iraq Natural History Museum, was a participant in the 2014-2015 WMF Cultural Heritage Conservation & Management Program held at the Iraqi Institute for the Conservation of Antiquities and Heritage in Erbil. At the conference, he presented a paper entitled The Importance of Geo-diversity at the Archaeological Sites of Bazyan in North Iraq, and Qusair in Central Iraq. His comparative research was made possible thanks to a field trip to the Bazyan fortress, which occurred during the week the WMF course was held in December 2014 at the American University of Iraq, Suleimani. The paper was prepared with the assistance of WMF program co-directors and professors.

The conference concluded with recommendations to reinforce the collaboration between the University Department and the State Board of Antiquities and Heritage for the protection and studies of the rich geological and archaeological heritage of Iraq, and to educate young generations to appreciate their history.

Dr. Aqeel obtained two certificates at the conference, as lecturer and as member of the Scientific Committee. WMF is proud to have helped fund the conference, and to have among its participants one of our Erbil training program students.