Protective Shelters for Archaeological Sites

A component of Shelters for Archaeological Sites with Mosaics
An old building structure covered by a larger structure above

A symposium on protective shelters for archaeological sites was held in 2013 in Herculaneum, Italy, hosted by the Herculaneum Conservation Project, and funded through a grant provided by Getty.

For this weeklong symposium, which used the archaeological site of Herculaneum as an "open classroom," the MOSAIKON partners worked with the British School at Rome and the Herculaneum Conservation Project to bring together heritage professionals from the Mediterranean region, along with other international colleagues with expertise in shelters.

Representing a cross section of disciplines and a range of experiences in the conservation and management of sites with mosaics, participants presented case studies from their home countries that tied the discussion to real sites and challenges. Issues discussed included deciding whether to shelter; condition assessments and environmental issues; designing and implementing shelters; and evaluation and maintenance.

The proceedings from the symposium were made available to further the discourse of protective shelters for archaeological sites and to offer guiding principles to heritage practitioners faced with sheltering decisions.

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