Broadening Horizons 3. Conference of Young...

Ferran Borrell Tena, Mònica Bouso García, Anna Gómez Bach,Carles Tornero Dacasa & Oriol Vicente Campos (eds.)

Broadening Horizons 3. Conference of Young Researchers Working in the

Ancient Near East

Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaServei de Publicacions

Bellaterra, 2012

001-352 Broadening horizons.indd 5 17/07/2012 16:38:25

Organitzat per:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Amb el suport de:Departament de Cultura, Generalitat de Catalunya

Composició:gama, sl

Edició:Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaServei de PublicacionsEdifici A. 08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès). SpainTel. 93 581 10 22Fax 93 581 32 [email protected]://publicacions.uab.cat

Impressió:Anmar

Fotografia de la coberta:© Anna Gómez

ISBN 978-84-490-2886-1Dipòsit legal: B. 18.918-2012

Imprès a Espanya. Printed in Spain

Dades catalogràfiques recomanades pel Servei de Biblioteques de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Broadening Horizons 3 : Conference of Young Researchers Working in the Ancient Near East / Ferran Borrell Tena, ... [et al.] (eds.) — Bellaterra (Barcelona) : Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Servei de Publicacions, 2012. — (Congressos de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; 8)

ISBN 9788449028861

I. Borrell Tena, Ferran ed.1. Orient Mitjà - Història - Congressos935CODI IBIC: HBJF1


Broadening Horizons 3F. Borrell, M. Bouso, A. Gómez, C. Tornero & O. Vicente (eds.)

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Summary

Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Josep Manuel Rueda Torres

Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Manel López-Béjar

Introduction .to .the .Broadening Horizons 3 .Conference .Proceedings . . . . . . . . . . 15Ferran Borrell, Mònica Bouso, Anna Gómez, Carles Tornero, Oriol Vicente

The .Italian .Prehistoric .Survey .in .the .Jazr .(Idlib .District-North .West .Syria) . .Preliminary .Investigation .of .human .occupation .from .Paleolithic . .to .Chalcolithic .times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

Claudia de Gregorio, Massimiliano Pepe, Daniele Aureli

Les .derniers .chasseurs-cueileurs .et .les .premiers .agriculteurs .dans .le .Leja . .(Syrie .du .Sud): .nouvelles .donnees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33

Joana Boix, Khaled Abdo

Taphonomic .agents .in .the .formation .of .mortuary .deposits: .excavation . .methods .and .treatment .of .human .bones .at .the .pre-pottery .neolithic . .sites .of .Bal’as .and .Tell .Halula .(Syria) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47

Anabel Ortiz, Bérénice Chamel

Quantitative .analysis .of .use-wear .patterns: .a .functional .approach .to .the . .study .of .grinding .stones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63

Maria Bofill

Sourcing .the .flint .raw .materials .found .at .the .Neolithic .complex .of .Mamarrul . .Nasr .(Douara .Basin, .Syria) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85

Ferran Borrell, Oriol Vicente

Les .foyers .de .Tell .Aswad .et .leurs .modes .de .cuisson .possibles . .Essai .de . .reconstitution .des .pratiques .domestiques .et .sociales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101

Diaa Eddin Albukaai


Summary

8

Tell .al-Baharia: .an .important .site .in .the .Damascus .basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113Ghada Sulaiman

A .northeast .African .‘Preformal’ .perception .of .‘Formal’ .space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123Martin Uildriks

Burial .practices .in .the .middle .Euphrates .area .during .the .early .Bronze .Age: . .The .contribution .of .the .hypogeum .of .Tell .Ahmar .(North .Syria) . . . . . . . . . . 137

Cristina Baccarin

Urbanism, .social .organization .and .economic .dynamics .in .third .millennium . .BC .Northern .Palestine .and .Transjordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151

Elisabetta Gallo, Valentina Tumolo

Fortification .and .burial .grounds .in .Tell .Afis .(Syria) .between .middle . .Bronze .Age .and .Late .Bronze .Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169

Angelo di Michele, Maria Elena Pedrosi

Satellites, .surveys .and .site .destruction: .using .satellite .imagery .to .monitor . .damage .to .archaeological .sites .in .Syria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183

Emma Cunliffe

Did .the .assyrians .occupy .the .Euphrates-elbow .in .the .Middle .Assyrian . .period .(Late .Bronze .Age)? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203

Jaume Llop-Raduà

Géographie .sacrée .dans .l’Égypte .Ancienne: .méthodologie .et .perspectives . .à .partir .de .l’étude .du .territoire .des .deux .sceptres-w#s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227

Núria Torras Benezet

The .Neo-Assyrian .and .Post-Assyrian .Settlement .in .the .Leilan .Region . .(North-Eastern .Syria) . .The .evidence .from .the .pottery .from .the .Tell . .Leilan .regional .survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243

Katia Gavagnin

Recent .finds .in .the .Beqa .Valley .(Lebanon): .The .last .columns .of .the .Brisa . .inscription .in .Old-Babylonian .Script .(WBA) .of .Nebuchadnezzar .II . .(605-562 .BC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259

Rocío Da Riva



9

Architects .and .engineers .in .Babylonia .in .the .mid .First .Millennium .B .C .: . .some .considerations .on .the .form, .development .and .function .of .the . .“salle .à .quatre .saillants” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271

Riccardo la Farina

Discontinuous .developments .in .settlement .patterns .and .socio-economic/ .political .relations .on .the .Malatya .Plain .in .the .4th .and .3rd .millennia .BC . . . . . 289

Marcella Frangipane, Gian Maria di Nocera

Rhythms .of .the .past: .Time .and .memory .at .late .Neolithic .Domuztepe . . . . . . . . 305Stuart Campbell

Neolithic .Middle .East: .notes .on .the .neolithic .process .in .the .middle .Euphrates . .valley .and .the .contribution .made .by .the .Tell .Halula .(Syria) .project . . . . . . . . 325

Miquel Molist

Quo Vadis .young .researcher? .Archaeological .research .in .the .Near .East .from .a .young .researcher’s .perspective .and .trajectory .of .the .Broadening .Horizons .Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343

Ferran Borrell, Mònica Bouso, Anna Gómez, Carles Tornero, Oriol Vicente


F. Borrell, M. Bouso, A. Gómez, C. Tornero & O. Vicente (eds.), Broadening Horizons 3. Conference of Young Researchers Working in the Ancient Near East. Congressos 8. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Servei de Publicacions. Bellaterra (2012).

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1. Introduction

The third congress held on Broadening Horizons. Conference of Young Researchers Working in the Ancient Near East (Barcelona 19-21, July 2010) once again brought together an important group of young researchers sharing the same training and sci-entific interests in the field of the Near East and adjoining areas. Apart from the satis-factory scientific results obtained, the congress provided a fresh opportunity to share ideas about the difficult situation and constraints on research carried out that is en-countered by young researchers in a large number of countries in the Near East and neighbouring areas.

2. Research in the Near East

Scientific work carried out by young researchers in this region of the planet are plagued by a series of constraints due to different factors, which although not exclu-sive to the profession, nor to this region, greatly hinder career prospects and scientific recognition, thereby causing a high dropout rate in the profession.

The Near East is made up of a complex, heterogeneous structure in geographical, economic and geopolitical terms, which conditions archaeological research. This complexity is evident in the very name itself, Near East, which is often referred to by alternative names such as “south-west Asia” (see Watkins 1992; 2010), and by the ter-ritorial boundaries of the states it comprises. In this regard, the huge social, ethnic and national variations to be found in many of the current states are obvious and are com-

Quo Vadis young researcher? Archaeological research in the Near East from a young researcher’s perspective and trajectory of the Broadening Horizons Conferences

Ferran Borrell, Anna Gómez, Carles Tornero and Oriol Vicente

SAPPO. Departament de Prehistòria. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona

Mònica Bouso

Institut Interuniversitari d’Estudis del Pròxim Orient Antic. Facultat de Filologia de la Universitat de Barcelona


Ferran Borrell et al.Quo Vadis young researcher? Archaeological research in the Near East from a young researcher´s...

344

pounded .by .the .great .geographic .diversity .of .such .a .vast .region, .which .includes .the .Taurus . and . Zagros . mountain . ranges . to . the . north . and . northeast . respectively, . the .desert .of .the .Sinai .Peninsula .and .the .Red .Sea .to .the .south, .the .East .Levantine .coast .to .the .west .and .the .Persian .Gulf .to .the .east .(van .Zeist, .Bottema .1982; .Cauvin .et .al . .1998; .Sanlaville .1998) .

The .second .point .to .bear .in .mind .is .that .scientific .work .carried .out .from .the .se-cond .half .of .the .20th .century .to .the .present .day .has .been .influenced .to .varying .degrees .by . the .political . situation . in . the . region .prior . to . the .creation .of . the .modern . states . .Therefore .the .colonial .past .of .the .modern .states, .and .subsequent .geopolitical .dyna-mics, .have .for .many .years .had .a .bearing .on .the .presence .of .teams .of .different .nationali-ties .in .certain .countries, .thus .leading .to .a .compartmentalization .of .research .by .terri-tory . and . by . nationality . . Although . not . harmful . in . itself, . the . effect . of . this . was . to .provide .little .stimulation .for .scientific .debate .due .to .the .lack .of .alternative .approa-ches, .oversimplifying .it .to .a . large .extent .and .thereby .limiting .it .to .small .academic .circles .from .few .countries . .In .spite .of .having .gone .unnoticed .for .the .past .20 .years, .this .inheritance .can .still .be .observed .in .the .fact .that .although .research .teams .are .highly .interdisciplinary .in .nature, .they .still .tend .to .be .made .up .of .foreign .members .of .a .sin-gle .nationality . .Furthermore, .the .presence .of .researchers .or .students .who .are .native .to .the .countries .where .projects .are .carried .out .is .still .negligible, .and .is .often .limited .to .

Figure 1: The opening session on the first day of the conference.



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the .area .of .administration .or .linguistic .aid .for .what .are .still, .unfortunately, .known .as .archaeological .“missions” .

Moreover, .although .pioneering .research .work .in .this .region .was .greatly .marked .by .political .issues, .the .latest .research .has .also .been .influenced .by .other .non-scientific .issues, .for .instance .the .construction .of .major .infrastructures . .The .best .example .is .rep-resented .by .state .built .reservoirs, .such .as .the .Tichrine .Dam .in .the .region .of .Djera-blous .in .Syria .(Del .Olmo-Montero .1999) .or .the .Atatürk .Dam .(Turkey) .(Tuna .et .al . .1999; .2001; .2004), .The .Karakaya .Dam .(Turkey) .from .the .late .70s, .the .Taqba .Dam, .in .the .Middle .Euphrates .in .the .70s .(Freedman .1979) .and .in .some .of .its .main .tribu-taries .such .as .the .Khabur .in .the .early .80s, .both .in .Syria . .Most .of .these .infrastructures .were .built .at .the .same .time .that .there .was .an .international .call .to .safeguard .archaeo-logical .heritage . .This .phenomenon .has .sparked .off .the .presence .of .several . interna-tional .research .teams .in .the .regions .mentioned, .which .have .enabled .important .scien-tific .breakthroughs . .The .downside .to .this .situation .is .that .an .“antinatural” .build .up .of .research .teams .in .the .region .has .artificially .been .brought .about . .Their .work .is .not .normally .governed .by .scientific-based .priorities, .but .has .had .to .adapt .to .the .tempo .and .circumstances .marked .by .the .job .and .the .government .in .power, .in .the .country . .On .the .other .hand, .scientific .interest .in .the .area .has .triggered .off .a .positive .imbalance .in .research .work, .to .the .detriment .of .others, .which .has .greatly .increased .archaeologi-cal .interest .in .some .regions .for .decades . .At .the .same .time, .this .has .created .archaeo-logical .voids .making .it .difficult .to .carry .out .research .work .in .areas .that .lie .outside .the .micro .region .affected .by .the .infrastructure . .Finally, .archaeological .interest .fades .con-siderably .once .work .is . finished; .scientific .projects .are . interrupted .and .the .research .teams .move .on .to .new .areas .

Lastly, .we .come .to .the .other .big .unsettling .factor .that .any .researcher .working .in .the .Near .East .has .to .cope .with . .Sadly, .this .region .has .suffered .a .long .list .of .armed .conflicts .varying .in .nature .and .duration .(the .Arab-Israeli .conflict, .the .two .Gulf .Wars, .the .Lebanese .Wars, .etc), .the .revolutions .know .as .the .Arab .Spring, .or .the .current .and .delicate .diplomatic .situation .in .Iran . .The .first .outcome .of .this .situation, .apart .from .the .obvious .humanitarian .drama, .is .that .the .movement .of .people .in .these .countries .— .whether .trying .to .enter .or .leave .— .becomes .dependent .on .the .Machiavellian .logic .of .international .politics . .This .could .lead .to .a .standstill .in .all .archaeological .activity, .mainly .of .international .teams, .which .would .have .a .great .impact .on .the .continuity .of .research .projects, .as .well .as .on .the .careers .of .researchers .themselves, .in .particular .the .weakest .link .of .this .profession: .the .researcher .who .is .undergoing .training . .To .give .an .example, .the .impossibility .of .moving .to .a .region, .even .for .just .a .short .period .of .time .(one .or .two .years), .could .mean .the .end .of .a .doctoral .thesis .or .a .postdoctoral .project .during .the .stage .of .sample .collecting .or .study .of .materials . .



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3. From a young researcher’s perspective

In .addition .to .the .previously .mentioned .difficulties, .or .perhaps .we .could .call .them .peculiarities, .of .carrying .out .research .work .in .the .Near .East, .there .is .also .the .complex .scenario .that .young .researchers .have .to .face .throughout .their .careers .

Whilst .still .at .university, .most .young .researchers .start .out .in .a .laboratory, .or .join .a .research .team .or .research .centre .or .the .university .that .carried, .or .is .carrying .out, .field .work .in .the .Near .East . .If .lucky, .they .will .live .off .a .pre-doctoral .grant .whilst .personally .undergoing .a .process .of .“domestication” .which, .in .return .for .a .precarious .and .meagre .salary, .means .complete .dedication .and .“fidelity” .to .the .team, .giving .lectures, .or .even .being .the .tea .wallah . .In .the .worst-case .scenario, .a .researcher .without .a .scholarship .ends .up .swelling .the .mass .ranks .of .“Easy .Riders”, .a .group .who .strangely .insist .on .do-ing .something .that .does .not .provide .them .a .normal .source .of .income .

In .any .case, .the .team .that .the .young .researcher .joins .tends .to .suffer .from .a .number .of .conditions .that .are .rather .particular .to .each .country .and .institution, .but .which .could .be .grouped .into .three .main .areas: .economic, .organizational .and .social .

Firstly, .we .have .to .accept .that .what .is .usually .understood .as .a .team .is .not .how .it .has .been .conceived .here .and .as .such .does .not .behave .in .the .same .way .as .a .“normal” .team . .In .this .regard, .we .would .define .team .as .a .variable .group .of .persons .(grant .workers, .stu-dents, .Easy .Riders, .part .time .civil .servants, .retired .people, .adventurers, .etc) .whose .aca-demic .and .economic .situations .vary .greatly .and .are .changeable .(mainly .in .a .state .of .permanent . job . insecurity) .and .whose .work .revolves .around .the .central . figure .of . the .Senior .Researcher, .an .acknowledged .and .well .placed .academic . .The .senior .researcher, .who .is .completely .overwhelmed .by .the .administrative .and/or .teaching .workloads, .draws .up .a .work .plan .in .their .mind .that .usually .corresponds .with .personal .interests, .yet .is .in-scrutable .for .the .rest .of .the .research .group .who .revolve .around .the .plan . .This .leads .re-searchers .to .accept .a .high .degree .of .job .insecurity .along .with .little .autonomy .or .capacity .for .managing .their .own .work .(given .that .little .depends .solely .on .the .young .researcher) .

On .the .other .hand, .the .Senior .Researcher’s .capacity .for .work .is .reduced .due .to . .the .huge .administrative .workload .- .for .which .there .has .been .no .preparation .nor .any .forewarning .- .that .is .involved .in .managing .a .project .of .such .dimensions .(permits, .re-ports, .meetings, .receipts, .trips, .etc) . .The .Senior .Researcher .also .has .to .gauge .very .well .the .type .of .results .obtained, .not .only .the .real .ones, .but .also .the .apparent .ones .for .the .people .who .assess .the .demands .(academics .and/or .politicians), .if .a .project .is .to .be .suc-cessful .in .future .calls .(every .two .or .three .years) . .In .this .respect, .the .Senior .Researcher .who .is .working .within .a .non-professional .structure .has .to .cope .with .a .supposedly .professional . and . rigorous . assessment . system . — . of . a . short . term . nature . — . which .should .give .rise .to .a .specific .number .of .high-impact .publications, .speeches, .congress-es, .etc . .In .other .words, .a .3D .movie .is .required .using .an .8mm .camera . .

Finally, .if .all .goes .well .and .the .grant .worker .and .the .Easy .Rider .complete .their .theses .successfully .and .want .to .pursue .their .archaeological .vocation, .they .will .have .to .



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face .new .obstacles, .which .could .roughly .be .described .as .two . .The .first .is .economic: .it .is .essential .to .obtain .another .grant, .post-doctoral .contract, .stays .abroad, .etc, .or .to .remain .bound .to .the .field .of .archaeology .as .though .we .were .talking .about .someone .who .collaborated .in .an .NGO .and .who .had .other .sources .of .incomes . .The .second .dif-ficulty .lies .in .the .researcher .growing .inside .the .team .they .belong .to .in .order .to .ac-quire . the .qualities . that .are . so .valued . in .European .calls . (achievements): . leadership .qualities, . independence, .project .management, .human .resources .management, . etc . .How .will .this .be .achieved .based .on .economic .precariousness .and .the .absolute .de-pendence .of .the .young .post .doctoral .researcher .on .their .relationship .with .the .Senior .Researcher .(in .whose .name .the .projects .are .signed)? .How .can .projects .be .managed .if .in .order .to .apply .for .them .it .is .necessary .to .have .full .time .contracts, .or, .at .least .3-5 .years .in .full .time .occupation? .How .can .a .Senior .Researcher, .whose .work .situation .became .stable .during .their .early .thirties, .understand .the .needs .of .a .40 .year .old .who .wants .to .grow, .who .is .thoroughly .trained .to .do .so, .and .yet .who .cannot? .It .is .like .a .clash .between .two .worlds; . two .very .different .ways .of .conceptualising .archaeology .and .leadership .itself, .both .of .which .reflect .two .diametrically .opposite, .social .and .eco-nomic .realities .that .each .has .had .to .live . .This .situation .is .even .more .apparent .when .talking .about .the .Near .East . .Archaeological .sites .are .often .excavated .for .a .lifetime .(either .that .of .the .Senior .Researcher .or .that .of .the .site) .by .the .same .person .(accompa-nied .by .hundreds .of .“migratory .birds”) .whom .develops .into .a .keen .sense .of .being .the .owner .of .the .site .(personal .or .national) . .Fortunately, .this .sense .of .ownership .is .gra-dually .dying .out .in .the .majority .of .countries .where .the .actual .researchers .come .from . .In .this .region .however, .due .to .circumstances .related .to .the .excavation, .this .feeling .is .still .very .much .alive .and .gives . the . impression .of . stepping . into .a .warzone . . In . this .complex .social .and .economic .framework, .where .projects, .research .lines .and .archaeo-logical .sites .are .“for .life”, .the .concepts .of .“generational .change” .or .“scientific .inde-pendence” .are .difficult .to .fit .in, .as .they .are .contradictory .to .the .very .essence .of .the .working .system .

4. Young researchers broadening horizons

4.1. The Broadening Horizons ConferencesAfter .this .general .outline .of .the .characteristics .and .difficulties .of .carrying .out .research .in .the .Near .East, .in .particular .those .affecting .the .young .researcher, .we .must .point .out .that .we .still .maintain .a .positive .stance . .An .obvious .vocation .for .this .work .enables .us .to .look .forward .to .the .years .ahead .with .sufficient .eagerness .and .enthusiasm, .knowing .that .in .our .own .way .we .have .to .do .our .bit .to .break .down .the .main .hurdles .impeding .the .professional .careers .of .young .researchers . .This .was .the .reason .why .we .participated .in .the .second .edition .of .Broadening Horizons and .we .are .now .keen .to .organise .the .third .edition .in .Barcelona .



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As .we .understand .it, .the .format .of .the .congress .allows .some .of .the .pressing .needs .faced .by .young .researchers .to .be .dealt .with, .regardless .of .where .they .are .up .to .in .their .studies .(PhD .student, .Postdoc, .post-Postdoc) . .The .most .important .point .is .that .this .is .a .congress .organised .by .young .researchers .for .young .researchers . .This .is .not .a .congress .organised .by .recognised .academics .through .their .young .researchers, .but .rather .the .back-ing .of .renowned .academics .is .achieved .through .the .Scientific .Committee .and .the .re-viewers .of .the .publication . .Therefore, .there .is .scientific .freedom .for .organising .a .con-gress, . which . enables . researchers . to . learn . about . organising . events . and . provides . an .opportunity . for .building .bridges .with . the . scientific .committee .and .the .participants . .The .youngest .researchers .find .themselves .in .a .setting .that .is .academic .yet .friendly .and .youthful, .where .they .can .present .their .first .works .and .become .involved .in .the .ever .more .common .practise .of .publishing .their .results, .following .a .review .by .external .referees .

Secondly, .these .meetings .are .not .only .intended .as .a .showroom .for .new .research .work .in .this .area, .but .also .to .encourage .and .provide .a .voice .for .young .researchers .so .that .they .can .contact .with .other .researchers .of .differing .nationalities .without .the .need .for . academic . intermediaries . .Unmediated . interaction, . on . equal . terms .between . re-searchers .during .the .first .steps .of .their .career .should .serve .as .a .base .for .future .collabo-rations, .thus .enabling .the .creation .of .transnational .teams .where .both .local .and .fo-reign .researchers .are .on .an .equal .footing . .

Figure 2: Conference attendants during a coffee break.



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The .third .highlight .of .the .Broadening Horizons .(BH) .congresses .lies .in .its .interdis-ciplinarity, .as .well .as .its .broad .geographic .and .chronological .scope . .This .combination .of .disciplines .has .grown .along .with .the .editions . .The .BH .congress .has .its .origins .in .the .growing .interest .on .the .study .of .ancient .landscapes .from .an .archaeological .pers-pective . .The .first .edition .held .in .Ghent .(Belgium) .on .the .27th .and .28th .of .February, .2006 .managed .to .bring .together .young .researchers .from .the .fields .of .archaeology, .geography, .geomorphology .and .history .who .are .interested .in .recovering .natural .and .cultural .landscapes . .The .second .conference .took .place .in .Lyon .on .the .18th, .19th .and .20th .of .June, .2007, .under .the .same .conditions . .The .third .edition .was .hosted .in .the .Facultad .de .Filosofía .y .Letras .de .la .Universidad .Autónoma .de .Barcelona .within .the .WOCMES .(World .Congress .for .Middle .Eastern .Studies) .framework . .Thematic .are-as .dealt .with . in . the . first . two .editions .were . substantially .widened, . for . instance, .by .opening .the .congress .up .to .work .carried .out .from .a .philological .perspective .rather .than .an .archaeological .one, .which .are .two .disciplines .that .hardly .cross .paths .despite .dealing .with .identical .historical .issues .

4.2. Barcelona Meeting Point: Broadening Horizons 3 (19-21 July 2010)The .presentations .were .structured .around .five .sessions .focusing .on .the .cultural .and .natural .reconstruction .of .ancient .landscapes, .whilst .also .opening .up .possibilities .for .future .themes .which .do .not .only .focus .on .landscape .studies: .

1 . .The exploitation of the natural environment and subsistence strategies2 . .The impact of human dynamics on landscape evolution .3 . .The socio-economic reconstruction of ancient societies based on archaeological, his-

torical or environmental records4 . .The settlement patterns and exchange networks .5 . .The application of new technologies in archaeological research .

In .the .first .four .sessions .there .was .a .guest .speaker .from .among .members .of .the .scientific .committee:

1 . .“Rhythms .of .life: .Time .and .continuity .in .settlement .structure .at .late .Neolithic .Domuztepe” . .By .Dr . .S . .Campbell . (University .of .Manchester, .United .King-dom) .

2 . .“Climate .and .environmental .reconstructions .in .Anatolia .and .their .relationships .to .societies, .from .the .5th .to .1st .mill . .BC” . .By .Dr . .C . .Kuzucuoglu .(CNRS, .France) .

3 . .“The . SAPPO . Project: . two . decades . working . on . the . Near . East” . . By . Dr . . M . .Molist .(SAPPO-UAB, .Spain) .

4 . .“A .discontinuous .development .in .settlement .systems .and .socio-economic/poli-tical .relations .in .the .Malatya .plain .in .the .course .of .the .4th .and .3rd .millennia .BC” . .By .Dr . .M . .Frangipane .(Università .“La .Sapienza” .di .Roma, .Italy) .



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There .was .a .total .number .of .59 .registered .participants . .Statistics .on .participation .by .country .showed .there .was .a .strong .presence .of .Italians .(12), .Spaniards .(10), .French .(9) .and .Syrians .(7) . .There .were .fewer .English .(2), .Swiss .(2), .American .(1), .German .(1), .Dutch .(1) .and .Israelis .(1) . .The .variety .of .universities .and .research .centres .at .the .congress .was .also .noteworthy: .University .of .Manchester .(UK), .Durham .University .(UK), .Rice .University .(USA), .Università .di .Pisa .(Italy), .Università .di .Siena .(Italy), .Università .di .Torino .(Italy), .Università .di .Bologna .(Italy), .Università .La .Sapienza .(Italy), .Cà .Foscari, .University .of .Venice . (Italy), .Università .di .Napoli, .L’Orientale .(Italy), .Basel .University .(Switzerland), .Université .Paris .X .(France), .CNRS .(France), .IFPO, .Lyon .II, .Archéorient .(France), .Université .Paris .Denis .Diderot .(France), .Uni-versitat .Pompeu .Fabra- .IUHJVV .(Spain), .IMF-CSIC .(Spain), .Universitat .de .Barce-lona .(Spain), .Universitat .Autònoma .de .Barcelona-SAPPO .(Spain), .Institute .of .Geo-graphy-Nüremberg . (Germany), . Université . Lumière . Lyon . 2 . (France), . Maison . de .l’Orient .et .de .la .Méditerrannée .(France), .Institut .of .Archaeology-Damascus .(Syria), .University . of . Damascus . (Syria), . University . of . Aleppo . (Syria), . Leiden . University .(Netherlands) .and .Institut .of .Galilean .Archaeology/ .Kinneret .College .(Israel) .

Figure 3: The closing session on the last day of the conference.



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5. Conclusions

Ultimately, .the .high .turnout .went .to .show .that .the .conferences .have .become .a .firm .hub .for .young .people .carrying .out .research .in .the .Near .East .from .a .wide .variety .of .angles . . It . is . also . worth . pointing . out . that . bringing . together . seasoned . experts . and .young .research .workers .proved .to .be .a .great .stimulus .for .both .alike .

Likewise, .the .manuscripts .compiled .in .this .volume .of .the .third .edition .of .Broad-ening Horizons show .that .the .event continues .to .broaden .horizons .in .more .than .one .way . .On .the .one .hand .due .to .the .broad .chronological .and .geographic .diversity .of .work .presented, .and .on .the .other .to .the .wide .variety .of .disciplines .exhibited .at .the .conference .

Obviously, .a .conference .of .this .nature .would .make .no .sense .if .it .did .not .lie .within .the .framework .of .a .number .of .other .initiatives .that .different .research .workers .have .carried .out .in .recent .times, .which .enable .easy .and .fast .access .to .information .and .com-munication .among .research .centres, .researchers .and .students . .Therefore, .portals .such .as .academia.edu, .mailing .lists .such .as .Agade .and .access .to .literature .online .such .as .those .provided .by .the .Oriental Institute Chicago .are .transforming .how .information .is .accessed .and .transmitted . .These .changes .may .contribute .to .creating .a .more .agile, .dy-namic .and .open .scientific .environment . .In .conclusion, .although .there .is .still .much .left .to .do, .the .way .ahead .for .scientific .research .looks .more .promising .than .it .has .ever .been .

In .this .sense, .we .have .achieved .our .desire .to .help .take .a .modest .step .forward .— .as .evidenced .by .the .publication .of .this .volume .and .through .these .lines .— .with .a .critical .review .of .the .current .state .of .research .to .overcome .the .difficulties .mentioned .and .en-courage .others .to .participate .in .new, .forward-looking .debate .forums .among .research .workers . .The .fourth .edition .of .the .BH .conferences .held .in .Torino .in .October, .2011 .fulfil .our .aim .to .a .certain .extent .whilst .also .showing .that .the .reasons .for .holding .these .meetings .are .still .valid .

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Tuna, .N .; .Greenhalg .J .; .Velibeyoğlu, .J . .(eds .) .(2004) . .Salvage Project of the Ar-chaeological Heritage of the Ilisu and Carchemish Dam Reservoirs. Activities in 2001 . .Ankara: .TAÇDAM .

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