QuarryScapes is the first project of its kind for addressing the importance of ancient quarry landscapes and raising the awareness of the urgent needs for protecting such sites. The initiative to QuarryScapes was taken by Elizabeth Bloxam (UCL), Per Storemyr (NGU) and Tom Heldal (NGU), and the consortium was formed during the summer of 2004. The application was sent to the FP6 INCO-MED programme September 2004, and approved by the Commission February 2005. The project started November 1 st 2005 and will last for three years.
QuarryScapes will develop scientific and practical methodologies for documentation, characterisation and conservation of ancient quarry landscapes, raise awareness of the significance and vulnerability of such sites and contribute to legal protection measures and sustainable management of ancient quarry landscapes. Through case studies in Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, the project will address development of theoretical and practical methods pertaining to the major steps in the process of conservation: from recognition, investigation and assessment of significance, to understanding the risks, developing sound conservation and monitoring concepts, and suggesting mechanisms for sustainable management.
QuarryScapes combines research and innovation-related activities. The research component is especially related to characterisation, detailed site survey, value assessment methodologies, as well as risk assessment and monitoring methodologies. The innovation component draws from these studies, as well as from other studies in related fields, and is particularly related to development of practical conservation concepts for specific sites/landscapes and sustainable management through inventory and GIS-based maps/atlases.
The most important general outcome of the project will be a booklet with general guidelines for investigation, value assessment, risk assessment, monitoring, conservation and sustainable management of ancient quarry landscapes that can be used in a range of cultural and historical contexts. Each year the project will organize open workshops, the first of which will take place in Turkey October 2006. In addition, QuarryScapes aims at disseminating project results through a variety of professional and scientific publications.
March 2007 QuarryScapes fieldwork in Egypt: The final season of survey at the Aswan silicified sandstone quarries revealed previously undocumented ancient paved roads
December 2006 Second Aswan field season The second QuarryScapes fieldwork season in Aswan took place through November 2006.
November 2006 First symposium
The first QuarryScapes symposium took place at Divan Talya hotel in Antalya (Turkey) 15-17 October 2006.
