PlaCe · Training the next generation of archaeological scientists: Interdisciplinary studies of pre-modern Plasters and Ceramics from the eastern Mediterranean

Training the next generation of archaeological scientists: Interdisciplinary studies of pre-modern Plasters and Ceramics from the eastern Mediterranean

Although plasters and ceramics are the first synthetic materials produced by humankind and occur in virtually every archaeological context (ritual, domestic, industrial, funerary, or otherwise) their analytical study had remained fragmented, with each material often treated separately and their wider potential for understanding technological and societal evolution underexploited. By focusing on these materials across the eastern Mediterranean from prehistory to the post-medieval period, PlaCe set out to investigate not only their provenance, production technology, and modes of use, but also broader questions relating to technological change, the organisation of production, trade and exchange, human mobility, cultural interaction, and social and economic structures, including the role of gender. This work is of great importance for society because it strengthens the appreciation and preservation of cultural heritage, provides new knowledge for conservation, museum interpretation, and site management, and highlights the deep historical roots of connectivity across the eastern Mediterranean, a region today marked by political and cultural fragmentation. In parallel, it contributes to European identity and cultural diplomacy by bringing forward shared traditions and histories. The overall objectives of PlaCe were to provide advanced training and support to early-stage researchers so they could meet current and future challenges in archaeological science and cultural heritage, to bring them to the forefront of research through cutting-edge methods and international collaboration, to enhance their mobility and embed them in professional networks and communities of practice, and to generate new knowledge about the evolution of plaster and ceramic technologies and their social contexts. These objectives have been fully achieved: PlaCe created a durable European training and research ecosystem, empowered a diverse cohort of researchers, and produced high-quality scientific results that advance both archaeological science and heritage studies. By uniting research on plasters and ceramics under one programme, PlaCe has generated new insights into technological traditions and cultural connectivity, while leaving a lasting legacy of skills, methods, and networks that will continue to benefit science, cultural heritage management, and society well beyond the lifetime of the project.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union