Post on 27-Aug-2018
Ferran Borrell Tena, Mònica Bouso García, Anna Gómez Bach,Carles Tornero Dacasa & Oriol Vicente Campos (eds.)
Broadening Horizons 3. Conference of Young Researchers Working in the
Ancient Near East
Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaServei de Publicacions
Bellaterra, 2012
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Organitzat per:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Amb el suport de:Departament de Cultura, Generalitat de Catalunya
Composició:gama, sl
Edició:Universitat Autònoma de BarcelonaServei de PublicacionsEdifici A. 08193 Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès). SpainTel. 93 581 10 22Fax 93 581 32 39sp@uab.cathttp://publicacions.uab.cat
Impressió:Anmar
Fotografia de la coberta:© Anna Gómez
ISBN 978-84-490-2886-1Dipòsit legal: B. 18.918-2012
Imprès a Espanya. Printed in Spain
Dades catalogràfiques recomanades pel Servei de Biblioteques de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Broadening Horizons 3 : Conference of Young Researchers Working in the Ancient Near East / Ferran Borrell Tena, ... [et al.] (eds.) — Bellaterra (Barcelona) : Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Servei de Publicacions, 2012. — (Congressos de la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; 8)
ISBN 9788449028861
I. Borrell Tena, Ferran ed.1. Orient Mitjà - Història - Congressos935CODI IBIC: HBJF1
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Broadening Horizons 3F. Borrell, M. Bouso, A. Gómez, C. Tornero & O. Vicente (eds.)
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Summary
Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11Josep Manuel Rueda Torres
Presentation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Manel López-Béjar
Introduction .to .the .Broadening Horizons 3 .Conference .Proceedings . . . . . . . . . . 15Ferran Borrell, Mònica Bouso, Anna Gómez, Carles Tornero, Oriol Vicente
The .Italian .Prehistoric .Survey .in .the .Jazr .(Idlib .District-North .West .Syria) . .Preliminary .Investigation .of .human .occupation .from .Paleolithic . .to .Chalcolithic .times . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Claudia de Gregorio, Massimiliano Pepe, Daniele Aureli
Les .derniers .chasseurs-cueileurs .et .les .premiers .agriculteurs .dans .le .Leja . .(Syrie .du .Sud): .nouvelles .donnees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Joana Boix, Khaled Abdo
Taphonomic .agents .in .the .formation .of .mortuary .deposits: .excavation . .methods .and .treatment .of .human .bones .at .the .pre-pottery .neolithic . .sites .of .Bal’as .and .Tell .Halula .(Syria) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Anabel Ortiz, Bérénice Chamel
Quantitative .analysis .of .use-wear .patterns: .a .functional .approach .to .the . .study .of .grinding .stones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63
Maria Bofill
Sourcing .the .flint .raw .materials .found .at .the .Neolithic .complex .of .Mamarrul . .Nasr .(Douara .Basin, .Syria) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Ferran Borrell, Oriol Vicente
Les .foyers .de .Tell .Aswad .et .leurs .modes .de .cuisson .possibles . .Essai .de . .reconstitution .des .pratiques .domestiques .et .sociales . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
Diaa Eddin Albukaai
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Summary
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Tell .al-Baharia: .an .important .site .in .the .Damascus .basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113Ghada Sulaiman
A .northeast .African .‘Preformal’ .perception .of .‘Formal’ .space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123Martin Uildriks
Burial .practices .in .the .middle .Euphrates .area .during .the .early .Bronze .Age: . .The .contribution .of .the .hypogeum .of .Tell .Ahmar .(North .Syria) . . . . . . . . . . 137
Cristina Baccarin
Urbanism, .social .organization .and .economic .dynamics .in .third .millennium . .BC .Northern .Palestine .and .Transjordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 151
Elisabetta Gallo, Valentina Tumolo
Fortification .and .burial .grounds .in .Tell .Afis .(Syria) .between .middle . .Bronze .Age .and .Late .Bronze .Age . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Angelo di Michele, Maria Elena Pedrosi
Satellites, .surveys .and .site .destruction: .using .satellite .imagery .to .monitor . .damage .to .archaeological .sites .in .Syria . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 183
Emma Cunliffe
Did .the .assyrians .occupy .the .Euphrates-elbow .in .the .Middle .Assyrian . .period .(Late .Bronze .Age)? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203
Jaume Llop-Raduà
Géographie .sacrée .dans .l’Égypte .Ancienne: .méthodologie .et .perspectives . .à .partir .de .l’étude .du .territoire .des .deux .sceptres-w#s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 227
Núria Torras Benezet
The .Neo-Assyrian .and .Post-Assyrian .Settlement .in .the .Leilan .Region . .(North-Eastern .Syria) . .The .evidence .from .the .pottery .from .the .Tell . .Leilan .regional .survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 243
Katia Gavagnin
Recent .finds .in .the .Beqa .Valley .(Lebanon): .The .last .columns .of .the .Brisa . .inscription .in .Old-Babylonian .Script .(WBA) .of .Nebuchadnezzar .II . .(605-562 .BC) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Rocío Da Riva
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Architects .and .engineers .in .Babylonia .in .the .mid .First .Millennium .B .C .: . .some .considerations .on .the .form, .development .and .function .of .the . .“salle .à .quatre .saillants” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271
Riccardo la Farina
Discontinuous .developments .in .settlement .patterns .and .socio-economic/ .political .relations .on .the .Malatya .Plain .in .the .4th .and .3rd .millennia .BC . . . . . 289
Marcella Frangipane, Gian Maria di Nocera
Rhythms .of .the .past: .Time .and .memory .at .late .Neolithic .Domuztepe . . . . . . . . 305Stuart Campbell
Neolithic .Middle .East: .notes .on .the .neolithic .process .in .the .middle .Euphrates . .valley .and .the .contribution .made .by .the .Tell .Halula .(Syria) .project . . . . . . . . 325
Miquel Molist
Quo Vadis .young .researcher? .Archaeological .research .in .the .Near .East .from .a .young .researcher’s .perspective .and .trajectory .of .the .Broadening .Horizons .Conferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 343
Ferran Borrell, Mònica Bouso, Anna Gómez, Carles Tornero, Oriol Vicente
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F. Borrell, M. Bouso, A. Gómez, C. Tornero & O. Vicente (eds.), Broadening Horizons 3. Conference of Young Researchers Working in the Ancient Near East. Congressos 8. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. Servei de Publicacions. Bellaterra (2012).
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1. Introduction
The third congress held on Broadening Horizons. Conference of Young Researchers Working in the Ancient Near East (Barcelona 19-21, July 2010) once again brought together an important group of young researchers sharing the same training and sci-entific interests in the field of the Near East and adjoining areas. Apart from the satis-factory scientific results obtained, the congress provided a fresh opportunity to share ideas about the difficult situation and constraints on research carried out that is en-countered by young researchers in a large number of countries in the Near East and neighbouring areas.
2. Research in the Near East
Scientific work carried out by young researchers in this region of the planet are plagued by a series of constraints due to different factors, which although not exclu-sive to the profession, nor to this region, greatly hinder career prospects and scientific recognition, thereby causing a high dropout rate in the profession.
The Near East is made up of a complex, heterogeneous structure in geographical, economic and geopolitical terms, which conditions archaeological research. This complexity is evident in the very name itself, Near East, which is often referred to by alternative names such as “south-west Asia” (see Watkins 1992; 2010), and by the ter-ritorial boundaries of the states it comprises. In this regard, the huge social, ethnic and national variations to be found in many of the current states are obvious and are com-
Quo Vadis young researcher? Archaeological research in the Near East from a young researcher’s perspective and trajectory of the Broadening Horizons Conferences
Ferran Borrell, Anna Gómez, Carles Tornero and Oriol Vicente
SAPPO. Departament de Prehistòria. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Mònica Bouso
Institut Interuniversitari d’Estudis del Pròxim Orient Antic. Facultat de Filologia de la Universitat de Barcelona
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pounded .by .the .great .geographic .diversity .of .such .a .vast .region, .which .includes .the .Taurus . and . Zagros . mountain . ranges . to . the . north . and . northeast . respectively, . the .desert .of .the .Sinai .Peninsula .and .the .Red .Sea .to .the .south, .the .East .Levantine .coast .to .the .west .and .the .Persian .Gulf .to .the .east .(van .Zeist, .Bottema .1982; .Cauvin .et .al . .1998; .Sanlaville .1998) .
The .second .point .to .bear .in .mind .is .that .scientific .work .carried .out .from .the .se-cond .half .of .the .20th .century .to .the .present .day .has .been .influenced .to .varying .degrees .by . the .political . situation . in . the . region .prior . to . the .creation .of . the .modern . states . .Therefore .the .colonial .past .of .the .modern .states, .and .subsequent .geopolitical .dyna-mics, .have .for .many .years .had .a .bearing .on .the .presence .of .teams .of .different .nationali-ties .in .certain .countries, .thus .leading .to .a .compartmentalization .of .research .by .terri-tory . and . by . nationality . . Although . not . harmful . in . itself, . the . effect . of . this . was . to .provide .little .stimulation .for .scientific .debate .due .to .the .lack .of .alternative .approa-ches, .oversimplifying .it .to .a . large .extent .and .thereby .limiting .it .to .small .academic .circles .from .few .countries . .In .spite .of .having .gone .unnoticed .for .the .past .20 .years, .this .inheritance .can .still .be .observed .in .the .fact .that .although .research .teams .are .highly .interdisciplinary .in .nature, .they .still .tend .to .be .made .up .of .foreign .members .of .a .sin-gle .nationality . .Furthermore, .the .presence .of .researchers .or .students .who .are .native .to .the .countries .where .projects .are .carried .out .is .still .negligible, .and .is .often .limited .to .
Figure 1: The opening session on the first day of the conference.
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the .area .of .administration .or .linguistic .aid .for .what .are .still, .unfortunately, .known .as .archaeological .“missions” .
Moreover, .although .pioneering .research .work .in .this .region .was .greatly .marked .by .political .issues, .the .latest .research .has .also .been .influenced .by .other .non-scientific .issues, .for .instance .the .construction .of .major .infrastructures . .The .best .example .is .rep-resented .by .state .built .reservoirs, .such .as .the .Tichrine .Dam .in .the .region .of .Djera-blous .in .Syria .(Del .Olmo-Montero .1999) .or .the .Atatürk .Dam .(Turkey) .(Tuna .et .al . .1999; .2001; .2004), .The .Karakaya .Dam .(Turkey) .from .the .late .70s, .the .Taqba .Dam, .in .the .Middle .Euphrates .in .the .70s .(Freedman .1979) .and .in .some .of .its .main .tribu-taries .such .as .the .Khabur .in .the .early .80s, .both .in .Syria . .Most .of .these .infrastructures .were .built .at .the .same .time .that .there .was .an .international .call .to .safeguard .archaeo-logical .heritage . .This .phenomenon .has .sparked .off .the .presence .of .several . interna-tional .research .teams .in .the .regions .mentioned, .which .have .enabled .important .scien-tific .breakthroughs . .The .downside .to .this .situation .is .that .an .“antinatural” .build .up .of .research .teams .in .the .region .has .artificially .been .brought .about . .Their .work .is .not .normally .governed .by .scientific-based .priorities, .but .has .had .to .adapt .to .the .tempo .and .circumstances .marked .by .the .job .and .the .government .in .power, .in .the .country . .On .the .other .hand, .scientific .interest .in .the .area .has .triggered .off .a .positive .imbalance .in .research .work, .to .the .detriment .of .others, .which .has .greatly .increased .archaeologi-cal .interest .in .some .regions .for .decades . .At .the .same .time, .this .has .created .archaeo-logical .voids .making .it .difficult .to .carry .out .research .work .in .areas .that .lie .outside .the .micro .region .affected .by .the .infrastructure . .Finally, .archaeological .interest .fades .con-siderably .once .work .is . finished; .scientific .projects .are . interrupted .and .the .research .teams .move .on .to .new .areas .
Lastly, .we .come .to .the .other .big .unsettling .factor .that .any .researcher .working .in .the .Near .East .has .to .cope .with . .Sadly, .this .region .has .suffered .a .long .list .of .armed .conflicts .varying .in .nature .and .duration .(the .Arab-Israeli .conflict, .the .two .Gulf .Wars, .the .Lebanese .Wars, .etc), .the .revolutions .know .as .the .Arab .Spring, .or .the .current .and .delicate .diplomatic .situation .in .Iran . .The .first .outcome .of .this .situation, .apart .from .the .obvious .humanitarian .drama, .is .that .the .movement .of .people .in .these .countries .— .whether .trying .to .enter .or .leave .— .becomes .dependent .on .the .Machiavellian .logic .of .international .politics . .This .could .lead .to .a .standstill .in .all .archaeological .activity, .mainly .of .international .teams, .which .would .have .a .great .impact .on .the .continuity .of .research .projects, .as .well .as .on .the .careers .of .researchers .themselves, .in .particular .the .weakest .link .of .this .profession: .the .researcher .who .is .undergoing .training . .To .give .an .example, .the .impossibility .of .moving .to .a .region, .even .for .just .a .short .period .of .time .(one .or .two .years), .could .mean .the .end .of .a .doctoral .thesis .or .a .postdoctoral .project .during .the .stage .of .sample .collecting .or .study .of .materials . .
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3. From a young researcher’s perspective
In .addition .to .the .previously .mentioned .difficulties, .or .perhaps .we .could .call .them .peculiarities, .of .carrying .out .research .work .in .the .Near .East, .there .is .also .the .complex .scenario .that .young .researchers .have .to .face .throughout .their .careers .
Whilst .still .at .university, .most .young .researchers .start .out .in .a .laboratory, .or .join .a .research .team .or .research .centre .or .the .university .that .carried, .or .is .carrying .out, .field .work .in .the .Near .East . .If .lucky, .they .will .live .off .a .pre-doctoral .grant .whilst .personally .undergoing .a .process .of .“domestication” .which, .in .return .for .a .precarious .and .meagre .salary, .means .complete .dedication .and .“fidelity” .to .the .team, .giving .lectures, .or .even .being .the .tea .wallah . .In .the .worst-case .scenario, .a .researcher .without .a .scholarship .ends .up .swelling .the .mass .ranks .of .“Easy .Riders”, .a .group .who .strangely .insist .on .do-ing .something .that .does .not .provide .them .a .normal .source .of .income .
In .any .case, .the .team .that .the .young .researcher .joins .tends .to .suffer .from .a .number .of .conditions .that .are .rather .particular .to .each .country .and .institution, .but .which .could .be .grouped .into .three .main .areas: .economic, .organizational .and .social .
Firstly, .we .have .to .accept .that .what .is .usually .understood .as .a .team .is .not .how .it .has .been .conceived .here .and .as .such .does .not .behave .in .the .same .way .as .a .“normal” .team . .In .this .regard, .we .would .define .team .as .a .variable .group .of .persons .(grant .workers, .stu-dents, .Easy .Riders, .part .time .civil .servants, .retired .people, .adventurers, .etc) .whose .aca-demic .and .economic .situations .vary .greatly .and .are .changeable .(mainly .in .a .state .of .permanent . job . insecurity) .and .whose .work .revolves .around .the .central . figure .of . the .Senior .Researcher, .an .acknowledged .and .well .placed .academic . .The .senior .researcher, .who .is .completely .overwhelmed .by .the .administrative .and/or .teaching .workloads, .draws .up .a .work .plan .in .their .mind .that .usually .corresponds .with .personal .interests, .yet .is .in-scrutable .for .the .rest .of .the .research .group .who .revolve .around .the .plan . .This .leads .re-searchers .to .accept .a .high .degree .of .job .insecurity .along .with .little .autonomy .or .capacity .for .managing .their .own .work .(given .that .little .depends .solely .on .the .young .researcher) .
On .the .other .hand, .the .Senior .Researcher’s .capacity .for .work .is .reduced .due .to . .the .huge .administrative .workload .- .for .which .there .has .been .no .preparation .nor .any .forewarning .- .that .is .involved .in .managing .a .project .of .such .dimensions .(permits, .re-ports, .meetings, .receipts, .trips, .etc) . .The .Senior .Researcher .also .has .to .gauge .very .well .the .type .of .results .obtained, .not .only .the .real .ones, .but .also .the .apparent .ones .for .the .people .who .assess .the .demands .(academics .and/or .politicians), .if .a .project .is .to .be .suc-cessful .in .future .calls .(every .two .or .three .years) . .In .this .respect, .the .Senior .Researcher .who .is .working .within .a .non-professional .structure .has .to .cope .with .a .supposedly .professional . and . rigorous . assessment . system . — . of . a . short . term . nature . — . which .should .give .rise .to .a .specific .number .of .high-impact .publications, .speeches, .congress-es, .etc . .In .other .words, .a .3D .movie .is .required .using .an .8mm .camera . .
Finally, .if .all .goes .well .and .the .grant .worker .and .the .Easy .Rider .complete .their .theses .successfully .and .want .to .pursue .their .archaeological .vocation, .they .will .have .to .
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face .new .obstacles, .which .could .roughly .be .described .as .two . .The .first .is .economic: .it .is .essential .to .obtain .another .grant, .post-doctoral .contract, .stays .abroad, .etc, .or .to .remain .bound .to .the .field .of .archaeology .as .though .we .were .talking .about .someone .who .collaborated .in .an .NGO .and .who .had .other .sources .of .incomes . .The .second .dif-ficulty .lies .in .the .researcher .growing .inside .the .team .they .belong .to .in .order .to .ac-quire . the .qualities . that .are . so .valued . in .European .calls . (achievements): . leadership .qualities, . independence, .project .management, .human .resources .management, . etc . .How .will .this .be .achieved .based .on .economic .precariousness .and .the .absolute .de-pendence .of .the .young .post .doctoral .researcher .on .their .relationship .with .the .Senior .Researcher .(in .whose .name .the .projects .are .signed)? .How .can .projects .be .managed .if .in .order .to .apply .for .them .it .is .necessary .to .have .full .time .contracts, .or, .at .least .3-5 .years .in .full .time .occupation? .How .can .a .Senior .Researcher, .whose .work .situation .became .stable .during .their .early .thirties, .understand .the .needs .of .a .40 .year .old .who .wants .to .grow, .who .is .thoroughly .trained .to .do .so, .and .yet .who .cannot? .It .is .like .a .clash .between .two .worlds; . two .very .different .ways .of .conceptualising .archaeology .and .leadership .itself, .both .of .which .reflect .two .diametrically .opposite, .social .and .eco-nomic .realities .that .each .has .had .to .live . .This .situation .is .even .more .apparent .when .talking .about .the .Near .East . .Archaeological .sites .are .often .excavated .for .a .lifetime .(either .that .of .the .Senior .Researcher .or .that .of .the .site) .by .the .same .person .(accompa-nied .by .hundreds .of .“migratory .birds”) .whom .develops .into .a .keen .sense .of .being .the .owner .of .the .site .(personal .or .national) . .Fortunately, .this .sense .of .ownership .is .gra-dually .dying .out .in .the .majority .of .countries .where .the .actual .researchers .come .from . .In .this .region .however, .due .to .circumstances .related .to .the .excavation, .this .feeling .is .still .very .much .alive .and .gives . the . impression .of . stepping . into .a .warzone . . In . this .complex .social .and .economic .framework, .where .projects, .research .lines .and .archaeo-logical .sites .are .“for .life”, .the .concepts .of .“generational .change” .or .“scientific .inde-pendence” .are .difficult .to .fit .in, .as .they .are .contradictory .to .the .very .essence .of .the .working .system .
4. Young researchers broadening horizons
4.1. The Broadening Horizons ConferencesAfter .this .general .outline .of .the .characteristics .and .difficulties .of .carrying .out .research .in .the .Near .East, .in .particular .those .affecting .the .young .researcher, .we .must .point .out .that .we .still .maintain .a .positive .stance . .An .obvious .vocation .for .this .work .enables .us .to .look .forward .to .the .years .ahead .with .sufficient .eagerness .and .enthusiasm, .knowing .that .in .our .own .way .we .have .to .do .our .bit .to .break .down .the .main .hurdles .impeding .the .professional .careers .of .young .researchers . .This .was .the .reason .why .we .participated .in .the .second .edition .of .Broadening Horizons and .we .are .now .keen .to .organise .the .third .edition .in .Barcelona .
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As .we .understand .it, .the .format .of .the .congress .allows .some .of .the .pressing .needs .faced .by .young .researchers .to .be .dealt .with, .regardless .of .where .they .are .up .to .in .their .studies .(PhD .student, .Postdoc, .post-Postdoc) . .The .most .important .point .is .that .this .is .a .congress .organised .by .young .researchers .for .young .researchers . .This .is .not .a .congress .organised .by .recognised .academics .through .their .young .researchers, .but .rather .the .back-ing .of .renowned .academics .is .achieved .through .the .Scientific .Committee .and .the .re-viewers .of .the .publication . .Therefore, .there .is .scientific .freedom .for .organising .a .con-gress, . which . enables . researchers . to . learn . about . organising . events . and . provides . an .opportunity . for .building .bridges .with . the . scientific .committee .and .the .participants . .The .youngest .researchers .find .themselves .in .a .setting .that .is .academic .yet .friendly .and .youthful, .where .they .can .present .their .first .works .and .become .involved .in .the .ever .more .common .practise .of .publishing .their .results, .following .a .review .by .external .referees .
Secondly, .these .meetings .are .not .only .intended .as .a .showroom .for .new .research .work .in .this .area, .but .also .to .encourage .and .provide .a .voice .for .young .researchers .so .that .they .can .contact .with .other .researchers .of .differing .nationalities .without .the .need .for . academic . intermediaries . .Unmediated . interaction, . on . equal . terms .between . re-searchers .during .the .first .steps .of .their .career .should .serve .as .a .base .for .future .collabo-rations, .thus .enabling .the .creation .of .transnational .teams .where .both .local .and .fo-reign .researchers .are .on .an .equal .footing . .
Figure 2: Conference attendants during a coffee break.
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The .third .highlight .of .the .Broadening Horizons .(BH) .congresses .lies .in .its .interdis-ciplinarity, .as .well .as .its .broad .geographic .and .chronological .scope . .This .combination .of .disciplines .has .grown .along .with .the .editions . .The .BH .congress .has .its .origins .in .the .growing .interest .on .the .study .of .ancient .landscapes .from .an .archaeological .pers-pective . .The .first .edition .held .in .Ghent .(Belgium) .on .the .27th .and .28th .of .February, .2006 .managed .to .bring .together .young .researchers .from .the .fields .of .archaeology, .geography, .geomorphology .and .history .who .are .interested .in .recovering .natural .and .cultural .landscapes . .The .second .conference .took .place .in .Lyon .on .the .18th, .19th .and .20th .of .June, .2007, .under .the .same .conditions . .The .third .edition .was .hosted .in .the .Facultad .de .Filosofía .y .Letras .de .la .Universidad .Autónoma .de .Barcelona .within .the .WOCMES .(World .Congress .for .Middle .Eastern .Studies) .framework . .Thematic .are-as .dealt .with . in . the . first . two .editions .were . substantially .widened, . for . instance, .by .opening .the .congress .up .to .work .carried .out .from .a .philological .perspective .rather .than .an .archaeological .one, .which .are .two .disciplines .that .hardly .cross .paths .despite .dealing .with .identical .historical .issues .
4.2. Barcelona Meeting Point: Broadening Horizons 3 (19-21 July 2010)The .presentations .were .structured .around .five .sessions .focusing .on .the .cultural .and .natural .reconstruction .of .ancient .landscapes, .whilst .also .opening .up .possibilities .for .future .themes .which .do .not .only .focus .on .landscape .studies: .
1 . .The exploitation of the natural environment and subsistence strategies2 . .The impact of human dynamics on landscape evolution .3 . .The socio-economic reconstruction of ancient societies based on archaeological, his-
torical or environmental records4 . .The settlement patterns and exchange networks .5 . .The application of new technologies in archaeological research .
In .the .first .four .sessions .there .was .a .guest .speaker .from .among .members .of .the .scientific .committee:
1 . .“Rhythms .of .life: .Time .and .continuity .in .settlement .structure .at .late .Neolithic .Domuztepe” . .By .Dr . .S . .Campbell . (University .of .Manchester, .United .King-dom) .
2 . .“Climate .and .environmental .reconstructions .in .Anatolia .and .their .relationships .to .societies, .from .the .5th .to .1st .mill . .BC” . .By .Dr . .C . .Kuzucuoglu .(CNRS, .France) .
3 . .“The . SAPPO . Project: . two . decades . working . on . the . Near . East” . . By . Dr . . M . .Molist .(SAPPO-UAB, .Spain) .
4 . .“A .discontinuous .development .in .settlement .systems .and .socio-economic/poli-tical .relations .in .the .Malatya .plain .in .the .course .of .the .4th .and .3rd .millennia .BC” . .By .Dr . .M . .Frangipane .(Università .“La .Sapienza” .di .Roma, .Italy) .
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There .was .a .total .number .of .59 .registered .participants . .Statistics .on .participation .by .country .showed .there .was .a .strong .presence .of .Italians .(12), .Spaniards .(10), .French .(9) .and .Syrians .(7) . .There .were .fewer .English .(2), .Swiss .(2), .American .(1), .German .(1), .Dutch .(1) .and .Israelis .(1) . .The .variety .of .universities .and .research .centres .at .the .congress .was .also .noteworthy: .University .of .Manchester .(UK), .Durham .University .(UK), .Rice .University .(USA), .Università .di .Pisa .(Italy), .Università .di .Siena .(Italy), .Università .di .Torino .(Italy), .Università .di .Bologna .(Italy), .Università .La .Sapienza .(Italy), .Cà .Foscari, .University .of .Venice . (Italy), .Università .di .Napoli, .L’Orientale .(Italy), .Basel .University .(Switzerland), .Université .Paris .X .(France), .CNRS .(France), .IFPO, .Lyon .II, .Archéorient .(France), .Université .Paris .Denis .Diderot .(France), .Uni-versitat .Pompeu .Fabra- .IUHJVV .(Spain), .IMF-CSIC .(Spain), .Universitat .de .Barce-lona .(Spain), .Universitat .Autònoma .de .Barcelona-SAPPO .(Spain), .Institute .of .Geo-graphy-Nüremberg . (Germany), . Université . Lumière . Lyon . 2 . (France), . Maison . de .l’Orient .et .de .la .Méditerrannée .(France), .Institut .of .Archaeology-Damascus .(Syria), .University . of . Damascus . (Syria), . University . of . Aleppo . (Syria), . Leiden . University .(Netherlands) .and .Institut .of .Galilean .Archaeology/ .Kinneret .College .(Israel) .
Figure 3: The closing session on the last day of the conference.
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5. Conclusions
Ultimately, .the .high .turnout .went .to .show .that .the .conferences .have .become .a .firm .hub .for .young .people .carrying .out .research .in .the .Near .East .from .a .wide .variety .of .angles . . It . is . also . worth . pointing . out . that . bringing . together . seasoned . experts . and .young .research .workers .proved .to .be .a .great .stimulus .for .both .alike .
Likewise, .the .manuscripts .compiled .in .this .volume .of .the .third .edition .of .Broad-ening Horizons show .that .the .event continues .to .broaden .horizons .in .more .than .one .way . .On .the .one .hand .due .to .the .broad .chronological .and .geographic .diversity .of .work .presented, .and .on .the .other .to .the .wide .variety .of .disciplines .exhibited .at .the .conference .
Obviously, .a .conference .of .this .nature .would .make .no .sense .if .it .did .not .lie .within .the .framework .of .a .number .of .other .initiatives .that .different .research .workers .have .carried .out .in .recent .times, .which .enable .easy .and .fast .access .to .information .and .com-munication .among .research .centres, .researchers .and .students . .Therefore, .portals .such .as .academia.edu, .mailing .lists .such .as .Agade .and .access .to .literature .online .such .as .those .provided .by .the .Oriental Institute Chicago .are .transforming .how .information .is .accessed .and .transmitted . .These .changes .may .contribute .to .creating .a .more .agile, .dy-namic .and .open .scientific .environment . .In .conclusion, .although .there .is .still .much .left .to .do, .the .way .ahead .for .scientific .research .looks .more .promising .than .it .has .ever .been .
In .this .sense, .we .have .achieved .our .desire .to .help .take .a .modest .step .forward .— .as .evidenced .by .the .publication .of .this .volume .and .through .these .lines .— .with .a .critical .review .of .the .current .state .of .research .to .overcome .the .difficulties .mentioned .and .en-courage .others .to .participate .in .new, .forward-looking .debate .forums .among .research .workers . .The .fourth .edition .of .the .BH .conferences .held .in .Torino .in .October, .2011 .fulfil .our .aim .to .a .certain .extent .whilst .also .showing .that .the .reasons .for .holding .these .meetings .are .still .valid .
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