| ■Tokyo National Research
Institute for Cultural Properties |
■Center for Conservation
Science |
| ■Department of Art Research,
Archives and Information Systems |
■Japan Center for
International Cooperation in Conservation |
| ■Department of Intangible
Cultural Heritage |
|
The terraces in front of the Central Complex (Cruciform Terrace is highlighted in red)
Excavation at the Cruciform Terrace
Conservation of the Central Tower's original stone members
Ta Nei Temple is a Bundist temple estimated to have been built during the period from the end of the 12th to early 13th century. A large rectangular terrace and a Cruciform Terrace are aligned at the eastern side of the Central Complex, which is the front side of the Temple. While a large terrace is often set in front of the building complex in the other temples of the same period, the style connecting a cruciform terrace in front of a rectangular terrace is unique. Therefore, these are considered important remains, when we think about the characteristics of Ta Nei Temple. However, as tree roots had grown on the terraces and the soil infill layer inside the terraces had unevenly subsided, the terraces had largely collapsed, especially the Cruciform Terrace.
Therefore, the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation dispatched four staff members from the end of November to late December 2024 and started an excavation of the Cruciform Terrace as a preliminary investigation for future discussion on the conservation and restoration methods, working with the archeological staff of the Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap (APSARA) of the Cambodian government. At the same time, surveys on internal structures, damage, and remaining status of fallen stone materials were conducted and fundamental discussions related to the direction of future restoration were held.
As a result of the excavation, many scattered stone materials that could be considered to have formed the Cruciform Terrace were detected under the accumulated soil around the Terrace. Furthermore, some parts of the foundation work layer and the internal structure of the Terrace were revealed. When we investigated the current level of the Terrace foundation, some subsidence was observed toward the ends of southern and northern wings, but the foundation itself remained in relatively good condition. On the contrary, it was confirmed that the side walls and floor materials were lost in many areas and that, as a result, an inner infill mainly consisting of sand had flowed out at the southern and northern sides of the eastern wing and around the southern wing of the Terrace. Almost no materials that can be estimated to have been used for the middle layer of the side walls of the Terrace were found, which could suggest that these stone materials were taken away intentionally during some past era(s). Based on these observations, we discussed the restoration methods of the Cruciform Terrace with APSARA staffs and mostly agreed on a basic direction and future plan for the restoration.
Simultaneously, we conducted some additional conservation work of stone materials at the eastern and western entrances of the Central Tower. Partial restoration of these areas had been ongoing until August 2024 (Field Activities Parts XVI to XVII). In addition, during the mission, meetings of the International Coordinating Committee (ICC-Angkor/Sambor Prei Kuk) were held in Siem Reap City from December 11 to 13. We reported on the completion of restoration of the entranceway of the Central Tower and the investigation on the Cruciform Terrace in front of the Central Complex.
Investigation of flood damage in Barbar temple
Symposium on Al Faw Archaeological Area
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation sent a research team to Bahrain and Saudi Arabia to take part in investigation and discussion of the preservation of cultural heritage in early October.
A tripartite memorandum of agreement had been signed among the Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities, the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, and the Institute for the Study of Ancient Civilizations and Cultural Resources at Kanazawa University. Together they launched a research center to promote archaeological studies in Bahrain and cultural heritage preservation projects in collaboration. The purpose of this visit was to investigate the current preservation conditions of cultural heritage that had been damaged by heavy rain in the beginning of this year. In Qalat al Bahrain, collapse of the outer walls of the fort by water damage and serious bending of the ceiling beams made from palm trees were recognized, and the site was temporarily closed to the public. Additionally, soil erosion was recognized in a well thought to be the most sacred part of the Barbar temple, and several stones were inclined or moved by the water flow. Effects on the cultural heritage due to increasing annual precipitation is becoming more serious year by year across the Middle East. We proposed to periodically monitor the progression of deterioration in comparison with the past situation, and discussed immediate countermeasures to reduce flood damage.
We attended a symposium held in Riyadh that focused on the Al Faw Archaeological Area in Saudi Arabia, which had just been newly inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in September 2024, and then visited the archaeological site. Excavation has been completed only by a few percentages, as the Al Faw Archaeological site is large and complex, mainly composed of a pre-Islamic caravan city, and also includes an area of ritual practice and numerous mound tombs from the Bronze Age. We also had a meeting with the Heritage Committee of the government of Saudi Arabia, and agreed to continue discussions on a partnership to promote site management and research for a future public opening of the Al-Faw Archaeological Area.
Training in Photogrammetry
Peace Park Tour VR in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park
Experiencing AR content at the Ichijodani Asakura Family Site Museum
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation held a workshop and study tour, titled, “Workshop on 3D Digital Documentation of the Cultural Heritage and Its Application” and “Study Tour on the Utilization of AR, VR, and Digital Contents in Japanese Museums and Archaeological Sites,” in Japan on October 21-30, 2024 as a part of the Activities for Exchanges in International Cooperation for Conservation of Cultural Heritage sponsored by the Agency of Cultural affairs. This is an advanced program following a basic technical workshop held in Bahrain in December 2023. Seven researchers who were invited from five different counties, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Egypt, attended an advanced technical lecture and hands-on program, and received on-site training in flying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for wide-area surveys of archaeological sites and historical buildings. Furthermore, a study tour to find examples of usage of 3D digital documentation in Japan was conducted.
The aim of holding this invitational program in Japan is to provide opportunities to learn about various usage and applications in the areas of historical education, museum exhibitions, and open-site museums in addition to implementing 3D digital documentation in the fields of archaeology or historical buildings. The following examples were introduced: digital content, such as a digital chronicle of the Japanese fine arts produced by the Tokyo National Museum and National Center for the Promotion of Cultural Properties; a 3DDB Model Viewer, which is a twin digital project sponsored by the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology; and the “Museum of the Street,” which is a unique program to provide touchable exhibitions reproduced from 3D digital data of real museum objects. Moreover, we visited and experienced the “Peace Park Tour VR” at Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park; Otsuka Ohmi Ceramic Co., Ltd., a factory producing replicas of cultural properties; and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) contents merged with an on-site exhibition of archaeological remains and reconstructed streetscape in the Ichijodani Asakura Family Site Museum.
Since it was seen that each country has different main objectives to implement 3D digital documentation, more practical cooperation programs to respond to each need will be considered in the future.
Work on the pyramid sequence worksheet
Making a puzzle of an ancient Egyptian boat
Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties has organized the Cultural Heritage Kids Workshop starting from 2023 to promote interest in cultural heritage to the next generation, especially for elementary school children. The second workshop was held on July 27, 2024, and 25 children and their families in total over 70 people attended.
The main theme, “Cultural heritage in Ancient Egypt,” was taken over from the last workshop, but for the second workshop we added new programs: a worksheet for creating a sequence of pyramids, an introduction to excavations in Egypt, and a three-dimensional puzzle of an ancient Egyptian boat. Each program had objectives of enabling the children to understand archaeological chronology, to learn the steps involved from the discovery of an archaeological site to the research and conservation work, and to study the meaning of some ancient Egyptian script and the ingenuity of boat builders. Children could learn about the fundamentals of academic studies on cultural heritage through this workshop.
Holding such workshops not only provides children with the opportunity to increase and renew their interest in mysterious aspects of cultural and historic heritage, but it is also beneficial to the generation of their parents, because we can introduce them to the research and the significance and background of cultural heritage studies. We will continue to hold workshops based on the results of our research and studies that are unique to the research institution.
Trainees learning photogrammetry and 3D modelling
Trainees learning photogrammetry and 3D modelling
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation held a workshop for four days, from December 24 to 27, 2023, which focused on technology transfer of the 3D digital documentation for cultural heritage and case studies, and discussion on its subsequent application for professional staff involved with cultural heritage in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The Bahrain Authority for Culture and Antiquities has been promoting the introduction of 3D digital documentation as one of the solutions to improve issues regarding documentation, preservation, and utilization of cultural heritage. As a training program for these issues was requested, this workshop was conducted as Activities for Exchanges in International Cooperation for Conservation of Cultural Heritage in fiscal year 2023, granted by the Agency for Cultural Affairs.
Fifteen trainees from different specialties, including museology, conservation science, conservation and restoration, archaeology, and architecture, attended the workshop. Two of them participated from the neighboring Gulf countries of UAE and Kuwait. Together with lectures on various ways to create 3D digital documentation, trainees tackled the practical task of making a 3D model from the beginning, solely by themselves, applying photogrammetry to one exhibit object selected from the museum. By experiencing trial and error on their own, trainees acquired the skills and knowledge to create the 3D model and consider their subsequent use. At the discussion on the last day, the ideas of each trainee as to how to make the best use of 3D digital data and models were actively discussed, such as for improving satisfaction with the descriptions of museum exhibits, and utilization in recording of the conservation process for application to the digital museum or for domestic and international promotion.
Despite the rich cultural heritage preserved not only in Bahrain but in other Gulf countries, the lack of human capacity to preserve and utilize cultural heritage is concerning, but it is hoped that some of these issues will improve through learning ways to perform documentation efficiently using 3D digital techniques.
A historic building damaged, collapsed, and temporarily closed. (Hatay)
Restoration of the collapsed walls is underway at Gaziantep Castle.
Experts' seminar
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) participated in the Emergency International Contribution Project for Cultural Heritage in FY2023 commissioned by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Government of Japan, which was titled as “Project for supporting the Reconstruction of Damaged Cultural Heritage in Türkiye,” in cooperation with the Cultural Heritage Disaster Risk Management Center, Japan (CHDRMC).
The primary objective of this project was to provide relief support for museums and cultural heritage damaged in the 2023 Türkiye–Syria earthquakes that occurred on February 6, 2023. In addition, by sharing Japan’s experience in rescuing damaged cultural heritage and our accumulated knowledge of cultural heritage disaster prevention with Türkiye, the project also aims to support the establishment and enhancement of a cultural heritage disaster prevention system in Türkiye.
From November 28 to December 7, 2023, a joint team of TOBUNKEN and CHDRMC visited Türkiye to investigate the affected areas, exchange information on cultural heritage disaster prevention in both countries, and exchange opinions with their Turkish counterparts for future collaboration.
The team visited museums and cultural heritage sites in Hatay, Gaziantep, and Şanlıurfa to ask museum staff about the response to the disaster, the current situation, and other issues, and to survey future support needs. At present, emergency measures are almost completed at the damaged museums, and full-scale work for recovery of the damaged collections and buildings is expected to be carried out in the near future. The museum in Şanlıurfa was flooded by heavy rains in early March, one month after the earthquake.
The experts’ meeting was held at the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Republic of Türkiye, jointly with the Ministry. The Japanese side provided an overview of cultural property disaster prevention systems in Japan, and reported on activities to rescue cultural properties damaged in the Great East Japan Earthquake and other recent disasters, as well as disaster prevention measurements at museums. The Turkish side reported on the damage to cultural properties caused by the earthquake, presented an overview of the response, and discussed disaster risk mitigation methods at museums. The parties from the two countries are continuing with further discussion regarding the direction of specific mutual collaboration and promotion of joint research on cultural property disaster prevention.
Excavation of the Terrace on the West Embankment of the East Baray
The newly installed (left) and the existing (right) supports at hazardous spots inside the East Tower of the Central Complex
Ta Nei Temple is located facing the East Baray, one of the huge reservoirs that used to supply water for the Angkor capital. The terrace at the eastern end of Ta Nei Temple was built on top of the West Embankment of the East Baray, being not only significant as the main entrance of the temple, but also connected to the other temples through the Embankment. However, due to the extremely poor condition of the terrace, its construction period and structural features have remained uncertain.
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties has so far conducted excavation of the terrace in three periods: November 2017, March 2018, and August to October 2018, aiming to delineate the plan of the terrace and consider the intention of construction. These previous surveys revealed plans of the terrace, especially the structure of the west wing. In this term, four staff members were dispatched from November 5 to 30, 2023 to carry out archaeological and architectural studies to understand the northern and the southern sections of the terrace as well as the construction process, in cooperation with Authority for the Protection and Management of Angkor and the Region of Siem Reap (APSARA).
Although traces of the stone masonry structure at the northern and southern sections of the terrace were scarcely identified, the excavation provided some clues to enable estimation of the original construction process of the terrace based on stratigraphical analysis of the mound structure. Additionally, a structure made of stones and bricks, which appears to be the foundation of a wooden pillar, was discovered on the surface of the terrace. Those remains indicate that a wooden structure was presumably built on the terrace at a certain time of its history. A level directly below where many roof tile fragments were unearthed by this excavation is thought to be the ground surface at the time when the wooden structure was built on the terrace. The details of the structure of the terrace still have not been ascertained, requiring further investigation.
In addition to the above-described investigation of the terrace, we conducted minor repair work on the East Gate that had been completed last year, and continued its documentation. Moreover, we installed additional supports at hazardous spots inside the East Tower of the Central Complex, and held on-site meetings to discuss future collaborative activities at the temple.
The workshop
3D documentation using Agisoft Metashape and iPhone Scaniverse has been rapidly introduced recently. The introduction of this technology can not only reduce the working time, but also make it possible to document cultural heritage with very high precision.
Following a beginner course held in July, the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation arranged an intermediate/advanced course on 3D digital documentation for experts who are working abroad, held on November 26 2023. Dr. NOGUCHI Atsushi from Komatsu University was invited as the lecturer. The main aim of this workshop was for the Japanese experts to learn 3D documentation and then to spread their knowledge among foreign experts.
In total, 18 specialists with a variety of backgrounds such as archaeology, conservation science, and conservation architecture joined this workshop and studied how to make orthographic projections, cross-sections, contour maps, and tiered color maps from 3D models using Cloud Compare.
Visit to Ichijodani Archaeological Site, Fukui Prefecture
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties has been involved with cooperative projects to preserve the cultural heritage in Bahrain for many years. Recently, Dr. Salman Almahari, Director of Antiquities and Museums in Bahrain, and colleagues requested to study the utilization of AR, VR, and digital contents in Japanese museums and archaeological sites, because they plan to introduce them in Bahraini museums and historical sites. Therefore, Dr. Salman Almahari and Dr. Melanie Muenzner, who is in charge of the UNESCO World Heritage Inscription in Bahrain, were invited to Japan from October 10 to 15, 2023 and a study tour was arranged.
During their stay in Japan, Japanese specialists delivered lectures on several topics, including basics of 3D documentation of cultural heritage, the utilization of AR for tourism promotion in Japan, among others. The Bahraini specialists also visited the Tokyo National Museum, Ichijodani Archaeological Site, Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, NHK and NHK Enterprises to study the latest examples of AR, VR, and digital contents such as ultra-high definition 3DCG.
The study tour was funded by the Agency for Cultural Affairs, Japan. As a part of the same project, we also plan to organize a workshop, “3D Digital Documentation of Cultural Heritage and Its Applications,” for Bahraini experts to take place in December 2023.
Panel talk on the conservation of the Tutankhamun collections
Speakers in this symposium
Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) was entrusted with an opening support project for the Grand Egyptian Museum by JICA from 2008 to 2016, and conducted seminars on capacity development and technical instruction for the conservation of museum collections.
In this context, we organized a symposium titled “Grand Egyptian Museum Now: Preserving the Treasures of the Pharaohs 2023,” which aimed to widely release the opening support projects conducted by the Japanese mission, including our entrusted project, ahead of Museum opening. This symposium was co-organized by the Grand Egyptian Museum and JICA on August 6, 2023 at the Heiseikan Auditorium in Tokyo National Museum. We invited both Mr. Atef Moftah, the general supervisor of Grand Egyptian Museum Project and Surrounding Area, and Mr. Eissa Zidan, the general manager of the first aid conservation and transportation of the artifacts, to this symposium.
The Grand Egyptian Museum, which is located next to the Great Pyramids area, is attracting attention before its opening as the largest museum in the world exhibiting collections from a single civilization. In the symposium, Mr. Moftah gave the keynote lecture and introduced the whole museum and the Tutankhamun collection room. Following that, Prof. YOSHIMURA Sakuji, the president of Higashi Nippon International University, and Mr. Zidan both made presentations on the latest outcomes on the second boat of Khufu, which the Japanese mission is currently restoring for display in the annex building. Additionally, the researchers responsible for the conservation of Tutankhamun’s objects presented their results, and a panel discussion was held on the theme of expectations for the Grand Egyptian Museum.
This symposium became a great opportunity to showcase the achievement of international cooperation to date, because we not only introduced the situation of the museum before the opening, but also all of the Japanese support in one place. Contents of the symposium will be released on the TOBUNKEN home page soon.
Participants taking pictures for 3D digital documentation
The３D documentation using Agisoft Metashape and iPhone Scaniverse has recently been introduced, and is rapidly coming into use. The introduction of this technology can not only reduce working time, but also makes it possible to document cultural heritage with very high precision.
The Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation arranged a three-day workshop on 3D digital documentation for experts who are working abroad from July 15 to 17, 2023. Dr. NOGUCHI Atsushi from Komatsu University was invited as the lecturer. The main aim of this workshop was to spread 3D documentation techniques among the foreign experts through the Japanese experts who attended the workshop.
Twenty-five specialists with a variety of backgrounds in areas such as archaeology, conservation science, and conservation architecture joined this workshop and studied how to make 3D models using Agisoft Metashape and iPhone Scaniverse.
Presentation by Mr. Ivgin
Visiting NABUNKEN
The Japan Center for Institutional Cooperation accepted a visiting researcher, Mr. Ilkay Ivgin, from the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in the Republic of Turkey from April 10 to May 31, 2023. Mr. Ivgin studies comparative research on the cultural property laws in Turkey, Japan, and Italy. During his stay, he undertook research especially on the administrative system of buried cultural property in Japan. Moreover, he collected information on cultural heritage disaster risk management to reconstruct damaged cultural properties and museums affected by the great earthquake in Turkey and Syria in February 2023.
Our center provided collected knowledge on the protection systems for cultural properties and introduced related documents, and also accompanied Mr. Ivgin on visits to the organizations and institutions that work to investigate and manage cultural properties. Acceptance of this visiting researcher at this time was a good opportunity for us to learn about the current situation of Turkish cultural heritage as well as to understand more deeply the Japanese administrative system for buried cultural property and its tasks.
A comment from Mr. Ivgin is included below.
“Within the scope of my Ph.D. thesis titled "Examination of Legal Legislation in the Preservation of Archaeological Artifacts in Türkiye and Legal Arrangement Suggestions for Standardization", which I am still working with the Department of Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage at Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University. In my Ph.D. thesis, the Japanese legislative system for the protection of cultural assets constitutes an important part of my work.
I am very grateful for their support of my work on the subject of my thesis at the Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties, where I began my research within the scope of this thesis. I would like to thank the staff of the Tokyo University, Ancient Orient Museum, Tokyo National Museum, Chiba-City Archaeological Research Center, Tokyo Metropolitan Archaeological Research Center, Archeology Institute of Kashihara, Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties and Agency for Cultural Affairs for their support.”
Ilkay Ivgin
Children intently listening to a lecture
Following an illustration on the wall for refresh exercises
Experience of passing through a model corridor
Experience of visiting a heritage site through VR goggles
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties organized a Cultural Heritage Kids Workshop as a program targeting elementary students to promote an interest in cultural heritage to the next generation, who will inherit the cultural heritage in the future. This workshop was planned and conducted by Ms. YAMADA Ayano, an Associate Fellow of the Japan Center for International Cooperation in Conservation, and held on the morning of April 30, 2023. The theme of the first workshop was “Pyramid.” In total, 90 people gathered at the workshop: 33 groups including 36 elementary students.
In the first half of the program, lectures on the history of the pyramids and the livelihoods of their builders were presented by two lecturers, Ms. YAMADA and Ms. FUKUDA Lisa, who is currently attending a doctoral course at the graduate school of Waseda University. By including topics that are not mentioned in the school textbooks but were revealed by archaeological and historical studies, we surmised that the children could imagine being close to the ancient civilization by comparing it with their own daily and school life.
In the second half of the program, we provided two bodily sensation programs outside the classroom lectures. One was an experience in which the participants watched a VR of the pyramid site wearing VR goggles. The other was an experience attraction in which they passed through a model corridor or into a model sarcophagus reproduced at 1:1 scale, watching a virtual tour inside the great pyramid. The materials used in the workshop are available to watch and experience at home. We aimed for effective retention of learning, by providing an opportunity of experience that the children will continue and repeat many times after the limited time of workshop.
Positioning initiatives for the next generation, such as this workshop, as an extension of research, we intend to plan a second Cultural Heritage Kids Workshop.
Prof. Suzanne Bickel making a presentation.
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties and the Institute for the Study of Ancient Civilizations and Cultural Resources at Kanazawa University co-organized a special lecture, “100th Anniversary of the Tutankhamun Tomb Excavation: Current Excavation in the Valley of the Kings” on April 30, 2023, presented at the Auditorium of Heiseikan in the Tokyo National Museum. This special lecture was planned to announce the latest results of excavations in the Valley of the Kings, which is the necropolis of Ancient Egypt, commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the Tutankhamun tomb excavation.
We invited Prof. Suzanne Bickel, who heads the Kings’ Valley Project, from Basel University in Switzerland for this special lecture. She discovered the 64th tomb there in 2011-2012, and is one of the researchers who led the study concerning the kings’ necropolis. She presented the archaeological and anthropological research outcomes on Kings’ Valley tomb No. 40, in which family members of Amenhotep III and court women living in the eighteenth dynasty in the New Kingdom were buried, which was investigated by the Kings’ Valley Project from Basel University. Moreover, Dr. KONDO Jiro, a professor emeritus at Waseda University, who excavated the tomb of King Amenhotep III, and Dr. KAWAI Nozomu, a professor at Kanazawa University, who studied about the mysterious Queen Neferneferuaten of the eighteenth dynasty, also made presentations.
In total, 275 people attended the special lecture, and we provided highly specialized archaeological content based on excavation research results to them. We will continue to hold similar lectures to actively broaden the research achievements.
Research at the Bahrain National Museum
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties has been cooperating with the excavation survey and maintenance of historical sites in the tombs of Bahrain for many years. When we visited the site in July 2022 and met Salman Al Mahari, Director of the Bahrain National Museum, he asked us to help protect the historical Islamic tombstones that remained in the mosques and cemeteries. Currently, approximately 150 historical Islamic tombstones remain in the country, but they are deteriorating due to salt damage and other factors.
In response to this request, as the first step of new cooperative activities, 3D measurements were taken of tombstones in the Bahrain National Museum’ collection and Al-Khamis Mosque from February 11 to 16, 2023. Structure-from-Motion/Multi-View-Stereo (SfM-MVS), a technology that creates 3D models from photographs, was used for photogrammetry to complete measurements of 20 units in the Bahrain National Museum and 27 units in the Al-Khamis Mosque’s collections. Tombstones made of limestone are highly compatible with photogrammetry, and from the 3D models created, the inscriptions on the tombstones can be seen much more clearly than from photographs or with the naked eye. These models will be made publicly available on a platform that can be accessed widely both domestically and internationally and will be used as a database for tombstones in the future.
In the following fiscal year and beyond, we plan to further expand the scope of our 3D measurement work to other cemeteries in Bahrain.
Dilmun Burial Mounds remaining in Bahrain
Speakers and participants of the symposium held in Tokyo, Japan.
The Kingdom of Bahrain in the Middle East has many interesting cultural heritage sites, despite being a small island country of the size of Tokyo’s 23 wards and Kawasaki City combined. It is known that Bahrain was called Dilmun, and prospered by monopolizing the maritime trade connecting Mesopotamia with the Indus region, approximately 4,000 years ago. As many as 75,000 burial mounds were built during that period only in Bahrain, which have attracted the attention of many researchers since the end of the 19th century. The Dilmun Burial Mounds were inscribed on the World Heritage List in 2019.
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) has been cooperating on the site management and excavations of the Dilmun Burial Mounds for a long time. From FY2022, we began cooperating on the conservation of historic Islamic gravestones in Bahrain.
The year 2022 marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Bahrain and Japan. TOBUNKEN held the international symposia on Archaeology and International Contribution: Japanese Cooperation for the Protection of the Cultural Heritage in Bahrain (on December 11th, 2022 at TOBUNKEN) and the Latest Discoveries of Arabian Archaeology (on December 14th, 2022, at Kanazawa University), co-sponsored by the Institute for the Study of Ancient Civilizations and Cultural Resources of Kanazawa University. The Director of Archaeology and Museums of Bahrain, heads of Denmark, France, and British missions that conduct excavations in Bahrain, and archaeology and conservation science experts in Japan, gathered for the symposia.
The history of each country’s excavations in Bahrain and the excavation, conservation, and restoration activities of Japanese experts were introduced at the symposium in Tokyo. The latest excavation survey results for each mission were introduced at the symposium in Kanazawa.
TOBUNKEN plans to continue cooperating for the protection of cultural heritage in Bahrain in various ways.
Discussion with Iraq online
The Tokyo National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (TOBUNKEN) and Japanese-Iraqi Institute for Archaeological Education of Mesopotamia (JIAEM) co-organized an international symposium titled Water and People of Mesopotamia and the Surrounding Area: A Hopeful Way of Looking to Our Sustainable Future with Water from Viewpoints of Archaeological and Historical Heritages in the Regions held on October 22nd, 2022. This symposium activity aims to foster a deeper understanding of the Mesopotamian archaeology and livelihood of Iraqi people and resume archaeological survey as well as international cooperation in the future as the second co-organized activity by both institutes.
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers that nurtured Mesopotamian civilization face the issue of water decrease influenced by dam construction by neighboring countries located upstream in addition to the impact of global climate change. We invited his excellency Abdul Kareem Kaab, Ambassador, Embassy of the Republic of Iraq in Tokyo. He presented a keynote lecture about the relationship with both rivers and people from ancient times, as well as the current difficult situation in the surrounding area in Iraq. Subsequently, several presentations were made from the multiple viewpoints focusing on the keyword “water” including the Water Resource Management in Transboundary Rivers, Riverine Life, and Water Supply of Ancient Mesopotamia, how to make a traditional Iraqi boat, history and current situation in Bahrain given its abundant spring water. In the second half of the symposium, Iraqi scholars were joined online, and talked on the field study of utilizing water in Eridu and Umma, and the crisis regarding buffalo in south Iraq. We discussed how they would be able to cope with their lives along with changing river conditions by overviewing what kind of water resources management were handled there from the archaeological viewpoint.
Dealing with a wide range of issues from the ancient to the present in three different languages (Japanese, English, and Arabic) presented a valuable opportunity to discuss livelihoods of the local people, not only focusing on academic themes surrounding the keyword “water.” We hope new international cooperation issue will be recognized through such activity.
