Course Content and Structure

In content and structure, the course was developed to address the following topics and skills as they pertain to stone conservation:

• conservation theory and principles
• stone mineralogical and physical characteristics
• stone as a building material—use and construction
• mechanisms of decay—material and structural
• methods of recording for documentation and analysis
• methods of analytical investigation
• planning and selection of conservation interventions
• maintenance and preventive conservation
• multidisciplinary teamwork in conservation
• developing and managing a stone conservation project
• regional issues in stone conservation

The course was conducted through pre-course reading, classroom lectures and discussions, group work, participant presentations, laboratory research, fieldwork exercises, and site visits. Throughout the course, an emphasis was placed on applied methodologies and practical applications through problem-based learning. Participants were given ample opportunities to test and apply the theories and lessons taught in the readings and in the classroom to actual conservation scenarios.

For an overview of the course content, see materials in the Resources section.

The instructors were an international group of recognized heritage conservation professionals representing a diverse array of perspectives based on their specialized expertises.