Earthen architecture constitutes one of the most diverse forms of cultural heritage and one of the most challenging to preserve. It dates from all periods and is found on all continents but is particularly prevalent in Africa, where it has been a building tradition for centuries. Sites range from ancestral cities in Mali to the palaces of Abomey in Benin, from monuments and mosques in Iran and Buddhist temples on the Silk Road to Spanish missions in California.

This volume’s sixty-four papers address such themes as earthen architecture in Mali, the conservation of living sites, local knowledge systems and intangible aspects, seismic and other natural forces, the conservation and management of archaeological sites, research advances, and training.

• Foreword
  Timothy P. Whalen, Director, Getty Conservation Institute
• Avant-propos
  Timothy P. Whalen, Directeur de l'Institut Getty de Conservation
• Foreword
  Mohamed El Moctar, Minister of Culture, Mali
• Avant-propos
  Son Excellence Mohamed El Moctar, Ministère de la Culture du Mali
• Opening Remarks
  Jeanne Marie Teutonico, Associate Director, Programs, Getty Conservation Institute
• Allocution d'ouverture
  Jeanne Marie Teutonico, Directrice associée des Programmes de l'Institut Getty de Conservation
• Keynote Address: L'architecture de terre, une discipline à part entière?
  Hugo Houben
• PART ONE
  Earthen Architecture in Mali / L’architecture de terre au Mali
  • Constructions en terre au Mali: Dynamiques sociales et culturelles d'une tradition ancestrale de construction
    Lassana Cissé
  • Le site de la mosquée de Kankou Moussa à Gao (Mali): Problématique liée à l'aménagement d'un complexe architectural médiéval en Afrique de l'Ouest
    Mamadi Dembelé
  • Protection et sauvegarde des mausolées des “saints” dans la ville de Tombouctou et leur place dans le contexte culturel saharien
    Pietro M. Apollonj Ghetti, Mauro Bertagnin, Klessigué Sanogo et Ali Ould Sidi
  • Negotiating Tradition in Practice: Mud Masons and Meaning Making in Contemporary Djenné
    Trevor H. J. Marchand
  • Lessons Learned from the Earthen Conservation Projects in Mopti and Timbuktu: A Joint DNPC/AKTC Initiative
    Francesco Siravo and Klessigué Sanogo
• PART TWO
  Conservation of Living Sites / Conservation des sites vivants
  • Adobe Cities of Libya: Unique World Heritage Architecture at Risk
    Abdulgader Abufayed, Amer Rghei, and Abubaker A. Aboufayed
  • Un plan de gestion pour retirer un bien de la Liste du patrimoine mondial en péril: Le cas des Palais royaux d'Abomey
    Léonard Ahonon et Thierry Joffroy
  • Conserver les villes historiques en terre du patrimoine mondial : Protéger les valeurs et comprendre les menaces
    Francesco Bandarin et Lazare Eloundou Assomo
  • Documenting and Representing the Historic City of Tarim, Yemen
    James Conlon and Pamela Jerome
  • Recent Work in Earthen Architecture
    Edward Crocker
  • La problématique de la conservation du bâti au Koutammakou
    Nayondjoua Djanguenane
  • The Conservation of Earthen Architectural Landscapes: A Preliminary Reflection and Review of Concepts
    Maria Isabel Kanan, Mariana Correia, and John Hurd
  • Raising Awareness of the Value of Earthen Architecture for Living and Working in the Nile Valley, Egypt
    Hossam Mahdy
  • Evaluation of the Conservation and Monitoring and Maintenance Programs for Polychrome Earthen Bas-Reliefs of the Royal Palaces of Abomey, Republic of Benin
    Francesca Piqué, Leslie Rainer, and Léonard Ahonon
  • Conservation et pratiques traditionelles de conservation au na-yiri de Kokologho
    Bakonirina Rakotomamonjy et Barthélemy Kaboré
  • La planification de la conservation du patrimoine bâti en terre: Le cas des mosquées en terre de Côte d'Ivoire
    Koffi Tizie Bi
• PART THREE
  Local Knowledge Systems and Intangible Aspects of Earthen Architecture / Les savoirs locaux et les aspects immatériels de l'architecture de terre
  • Mitigating Threats to Local Knowledge Embedded in Earthen Architecture: The Case of Preserving African Architectural Semiotics
    Allen Kenneth Birabi and Barnabas Nawangwe
  • Earthen Architecture in Indian Tribes
    Om Prakash Joshi
  • A Semantic Web Portal for Supporting Knowledge Contribution, Sharing, and Management in the Earthen Architectural Heritage Domain
    Saverio Mecca, Chiara Cirinnà, and Marco Masera
  • Earth Building Culture in Daura, Nigeria: From Mythological Origin to Reality
    Ishanlosen Odiaua
  • Oral Traditions in the Conservation of Earthen Architecture
    Julias Juma Ogega
  • Les savoirs locaux et les aspects immatériels de l'architecture de terre dans le nord-ouest argentin : Le tourisme et la sauvegarde du patrimoine culturel
    Mirta Eufemia Sosa
  • Traditional Experiences in Mud-Brick Conservation and Its Optimization
    Mohammad Hassan Talebian and Afshin Ebrahimi
  • Features in the Intangible Domain of Ndebele Earthen Architecture
    Chris J. van Vuuren
• PART FOUR
  Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites / Conservation et gestion de sites archéologiques
  • Une collaboration exemplaire pour la conservation et la mise en valeur du site archéologique de Mari (Syrie)
    Mahmoud Bendakir, Jean-Claude Margueron et Michel Dayre
  • The Use of Historic Photographs for the Study of Earthen Architecture
    Louise Cooke
  • Préparation d'un plan de gestion et de sa mise en œuvre: Le cas de Joya de Cerén, El Salvador
    Françoise Descamps et Carolina Castellanos
  • Conservation and Documentation of the Buddhist Monastery of Ajina Tepa, Tajikistan: Heritage of the Silk Road
    Enrico Fodde, Kunio Watanabe, and Yukiyasu Fujii
  • Conservation et gestion des sites archéologiques en Asie centrale: Mise en place d'une stratégie adaptée aux structures en terre
    David Gandreau, Sébastien Moriset et Mahmoud Bendakir
  • The Archaeological Site of Konar Sandal, Jiroft, Iran: Conservation of Earthen Architecture
    Manijeh Hadian Dehkordi, Rasool Vatandoust, Youssef Madjidzadeh, and Mohsen G. Kashi
  • Conservation of the Enclosure of Khasekhemwy at Hierakonpolis, Upper Egypt: Investigation, Experimentation, and Implementation
    Richard L. Jaeschke and Renee Friedman
  • Huacas de Moche, Peru, Archaeological Project: Management, Research, Conservation, and Results
    Ricardo Morales Gamarra
  • Treatment of Late Roman Mural Paintings on Mud Plaster in the Dakhla Oasis, Egypt: Conservation Problems and Continuing Challenges
    Constance S. Silver
  • Conservation of Archaeological Daga (Adobe) Structures, Domboshaba National Monument, Botswana
    Ashton Sinamai
• PART FIVE
  Advances in Research / Avancées dans la recherche
  • The Consolidation of Earthen Surface Finishes: Developing a Protocol for Treatment Evaluation at Mesa Verde National Park
    Amila Ferron and Frank Matera
  • La terre, un béton comme les autres? Quelques mécanismes de stabilisation du matériau terre
    Romain Anger, Laetitia Fontaine, Hugo Houben, Patrice Doat, Henri Van Damme, Christian Olagnon et Yves Jorand
  • Étude expérimentale et modélisation des mouvements d'eau dans la muraille en terre extérieure de Khiva (Ouzbékistan) en relation avec les faciès de dégradation observés
    Olivier Grossein, Jean-Paul Laurent, Laurent Oxarango, Thierry ]offroy, Mahmoud Bendakir et Hugo Houben
  • Conserving Earth Structures in a Damp Climate
    Tom Morton
  • Justification for the Combination of Organic and Inorganic Stabilizers to Stabilize Traditional Earth Materials (Mud) for Quality and Capacity Utilization in Africa
    N. A. Nwankwor
  • Saliva de cupim: Recent Experiments with Termite Mound Soil and Termite Saliva as Stabilizers for Earthen Structures
    Honório Nicholls Pereira
  • Experimental Analysis for Compressive Strength Evaluation of Earthen Materials
    Silvia Briccoli Bati, Luisa Rovero, and Ugo Tonietti
  • Comparative Testing of Earthen Grouts for the Conservation of Historic Earthen Architectural Surfaces
    Stefan Simon and Daniela Geyer
  • Le rôle de l'eau dans la cohésion et l'adhésion du matériau terre: Une question d'équilibre
    David Gelard, Laetitia Fontaine, Romain Anger, Yehdih O. M. Abdelhaye, Jean-Paul Laurent, Christian Olagnon, Hugo Houben et Henri Van Damme
  • Modern Innovations in Unfired Clay Masonry in the United Kingdom
    Peter Walker, Andrew Heath, and Mike Lawrence
• PART SIX
  Seismic and Other Natural Forces / Séismes et autres phénomènes naturels
  • Impact of Climate Change on Earthen Buildings
    Peter Brimblecombe, Alessandra Bonazza, Nick Brooks, Carlota M. Grossi, Ian Harris, and Cristina Sabbioni
  • Seismic Strengthening of Adobe Structures Using Low-Cost Materials
    Mohammad Shariful Islam and Kazuyoshi Iwashita
  • The Application of Stability-Based Seismic Retrofit Techniques to Historic Adobes and Housing in Developing Countries
    E. Leroy Tolles, Stephen J. Farneth, and Dominic M. Dowling
  • Using Polymer Grid as Seismic Flexural Reinforcement in Historically Significant Adobe Buildings
    Daniel Torrealva, Mary Hardy, Cecilia Cerron, and Yvan Espinoza
  • An Experimental Study of the Use of Soil-Based Grouts for the Repair of Historic Earthen Walls and a Case Study of an Early Period Buddhist Monastery
    Julio Vargas, Bhawna Dandona, Marcial Blondet, Claudia Cancino, Carlos Iwaki, and Kathya Morales
  • Study of the Structural Behavior of Traditional Adobe Constructions
    Humberto Varum, Anibal Costa, Dora Silveira, and Maria Fernandes
  • Consolidation and Reinforcement of Destabilized Earthen Structures in Bam after the Earthquake of December 2003: Some New Approaches
    Rasool Vatandoust, Eskandar Mokhtari, and Mahmoud Nejati
• PART SEVEN
  Challenges and Opportunities of Conservation and Development / Défis et opportunités de la conservation et du développement
  • Earthen Architecture Construction in Southern Ecuador
    Maria de Lourdes Abad Rodas
  • A Manual for the Conservation and Restoration of Traditional Sardinian Architecture
    Maddalena Achenza
  • Earthen Architecture, Sustainability, and Social Justice
    Erica Avrami
  • Revalorisation des architectures de terre en Ouganda: Un challenge pour un développement durable
    Olivier Moles, Barnabas Nawangwe, Alexandre Douline et Philippe Garnier
  • Le ksar d'Assa: Mémoire des lieux et compétence d'édifier dans le Maroc présaharien
    Salima Naji et Lahoucine Rah
  • Sustaining an Ancient Tradition: The World Monuments Fund and the Conservation of Earthen Architecture
    Gaetano Palumbo, Norma Barbacci, and Mark Weber
• PART EIGHT
  Standards and Guidelines for New and Existing Structures / Normes et principes directeurs pour structures nouvelles et existantes
  • A General Procedure for the Structural Condition Assessment of Historic Earthen Masonry Structures through Structural Identification and Monitoring
    Yasemin Didem Aktas and Ahmet Türer
  • Toward a Comprehensive Taxonomy of Earthen Architecture
    Edward Crocker and Gustavo Araoz
  • Guides, Codes, and Standards for Rammed Earth Structures: An African Case Study
    Rowland Keable
  • Development of Earth Construction Standards: What Is Next from New Zealand?
    Hugh Morris and Jason Ingham
• PART NINE
  Training / Formation
• “Grains de bâtisseurs”: Un nouvel outil pédagogique pour l'enseignement de l'Architecture de Terre
  Hugo Houben, Patrice Doat, Laetitia Fontaine, Romain Anger, Wilfreda Carazas Aedo, Christian Olagnon et Henri Van Damme
• International Collaborations to Preserve Earthen Architectural Heritage
  Antonio Guerrero Arzaga, Luis Fernando Guerrero Baca, and Francisco Uviña Contreras

Angelyn Bass Rivera is a principal at Conservation Associates, specializing in archaeological site management and the preservation of architectural features and finishes. Rivera worked for the National Park Service for fifteen years leading field conservation projects and worked privately performing consulting services, treatment, and field training for museums, educational organizations, and other not-for-profit organizations. She is a professional associate of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works (AIC).

David Gandreau est archéologue et chercheur associé au laboratoire CRATerre-ENSAG. Il travaille sur les stratégies et les techniques de coordination entre fouilles archéologiques conservation des vestiges en terre. Cette recherche de post-diplôme en archéologie (DEA, Université Lyon II) a été engagée dans le cadre de la formation de troisième cycle à l'Ecole nationale d'architecture de Grenoble (DPEA-terre, CRATerre). Les résultats sont mis en application depuis lors sur des projets de conservation de sites archéologiques en Iran, en Asie centrale et en Afrique.

Leslie Rainer is a wall painting conservator and senior project specialist at the Getty Conservation Institute. She has worked with museums, regional conservation centers, and international organizations on projects in various parts of the world. She has a particular interest n the conservation of decorated surfaces on earthen architecture. She is a former chair of the US/ICOMOS Earthen Architecture Committee and led the GCI team in the organization of Terra 2008.