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The World Archaeological Congress (WAC), a worldwide organization
of practicing archaeologists, will hold its fifth international
congress June 21-26, 2003, in Washington, D.C.
For this congress—the first in North America—the GCI
is working with a consortium of conservation and cultural heritage
institutions to develop conservation-related programming, with the
aim of strengthening the relationship between the professions of
archaeology and conservation. The theme of the programming is "Of
the Past, for the Future: Integrating Archaeology and Conservation."
Participating with the GCI in this initiative are the American
Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC);
English Heritage; the International
Centre for the Study of the Preservation and Restoration of Cultural
Property (ICCROM); the
Institute of Archaeology at the University of London; the International
Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) and two of its national
bodies, US/ICOMOS
and Australia ICOMOS;
the National Monuments of Chile;
the State Administration of Cultural Heritage of the People's
Republic of China; the World Monuments
Fund; and the World
Tourism Organization.
Conservation-related topics will be addressed in a series of plenary
presentations and panel discussions throughout the congress. The
emphasis will be on global issues crucial to the survival of archaeological
heritage in today's world. Among these are policy-based and
social issues that counterbalance the traditional scientific and
technical domains of expertise in archaeological conservation. Foremost
among these are methodological site management planning and implementation,
including management of archaeological World Heritage sites, as
well as increased participation by indigenous peoples, communities,
and stakeholders in decision making, in interventions on sites,
and in determining the disposition of excavated objects. Other issues
to be addressed include development and tourism, which present an
ever-greater threat to the world's archaeological record in
many countries. There will also be a panel on the impact of development
on the archaeological heritage and conservation in China.
Held every four years, the WAC congress offers discussion of new
archaeological research, as well as of archaeological policy, practice,
and politics. For further information on the Fifth World Archaeological
Congress, including registration details and descriptions of the
conservation sessions, please visit the congress Web site www.american.edu/wac5
or contact:
WAC-5 Organizing Committee
Department of Anthropology
American University
Washington, D.C. 20016 USA
Fax: 202 885 1381
Email: wac5@american.edu
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