Education on Earthen Architecture

A component of Terra
A group watches as demonstrator points to a map and other diagrams

In the area of education, a primary objective of Project Terra was to develop earthen architecture as a field of study—through elaboration and testing of training methodologies and didactic materials. The PAT courses, the post-graduate course at CRAterre-EAG, and the UNESCO Chair on Earthen Architecture constituted a strong foundation from which to pursue these efforts.

Work Completed

The second Pan-American Course on the Conservation and Management of Earthen Architectural and Archaeological Heritage (Curso Panamericano sobre la Conservación y el Manejo del Patrimonio Arquitectónico Histórico-Arqueológico de Tierra)

  • The course, familiarly known as PAT99, was hosted in Trujillo, Peru, October 31 to December 10, 1999
  • PAT99 was a collaboration of the Conservation Institute, ICCROM, CRAterre-EAG, and the Instituto Nacional de Cultura-La Libertad (INC-LL), a regional agency of the Instituto Nacional de Cultura del Perú
  • Twenty-seven architects, archaeologists, and conservators—representing twelve countries in Latin America—participated as students in the intensive six-week course
  • The PAT99 course utilized a team-teaching approach, involving ten principal instructors from the Americas and Europe and fifteen associate instructors. Associate instructors consisted of INC-LL staff and alumni of previous PAT courses. Their participation in PAT99 introduced them to the scope of work involved in coordinating and teaching such a course, and to promoting the development of similar educational activities in their home countries.
  • PAT99 was the last in the ten-year history of short-term, mid-career PAT courses. (PAT89, PAT90, PAT92, and PAT94 were hosted in Grenoble, France, and organized by CRAterre-EAG and ICCROM; PAT96 and PAT99 were hosted in Trujillo, Peru, and organized by CRAterre-EAG, ICCROM, the Conservation Institute, and INC-LL).
  • An important aim of PAT99 was to synthesize past efforts and begin to codify the body of knowledge amassed through these years of training activities. By capturing this cumulative experience and exploring new and innovative approaches to education in this area, PAT99 served as a testing ground for improved teaching methodologies and materials.

Shelters Colloquium

  • A colloquium on "Protective Shelters for Archaeological Sites in the Southwest" was held in Tumacacori, Arizona, USA, from January 9 to 12, 2001. The colloquium was organized by the US/ICOMOS Specialized Committee on Earthen Architecture, in cooperation with the Getty Conservation Institute (through Project Terra), the United States National Park Service, and New Mexico State Monuments. The colloquium was funded in part through a grant from the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training of the National Park Service. The three-day meeting focused on protective sheltering for archaeological sites, with particular emphasis on earthen sites in the southwest United States. The colloquium papers were published in a special edition of the journal Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites, vol.5, no.1 & 2 (2001).

Terra Consortium: UNESCO Chair on Earthen Architecture

  • The UNESCO Chair on Earthen Architecture was formally inaugurated in October of 1998 through the UNITWIN/UNESCO Chairs Programme.
  • Centered at CRAterre-EAG, the Chair is a vehicle for collaboration with universities in developing countries, aimed at instituting formal education programs related to earthen architecture construction and conservation. The Terra partners were charged with identifying university partners and coordinating the development of curricula and faculty for earthen architecture conservation within this consortium.
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