Sustainable solutions towards heritage preservation in the Asyut region (Middle Egypt)
Lead Research Organisation:
British Museum
Department Name: Ancient Egypt and Sudan
Abstract
The current proposal aims to implement a new approach to fieldwork in Egypt by looking at the broad spectrum of history - up until the present day - at multi-layered sites, including efforts to preserve heritage rather than only researching it. The project will undertake and develop a sustainable conservation policy for archaeological sites using the Asyut region in Middle Egypt, and the village of Shutb in particular, as a case-study. Rather than merely looking upon archaeological sites as salvage missions or narrow-eyed academic pursuits, the project supports local interests to better the lives of local communities so that they can function as working partners in preserving the site.
The employed methodology promotes (1) better integration of preservation and heritage management methodologies and specialists into archaeological fieldwork projects, (2) coordination and collaboration amongst different institutions and agencies concerned with heritage preservation, (3) engaging with local communities, local heritage professionals and other stakeholders through training and capacity building by hands-on experience and implementation of projects.
To achieve these goals, the British Museum will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of Cairo-based consultants, staff of Cambridge University and local stake holders to develop a set of protection measures in order to uphold Shutb's archaeological value, to prevent further decay of the historic fabric and to enhance the socio-economic (living) conditions of the inhabitants. Two seasons of fieldwork in Shutb will include a series of surveys and meetings to assess the impact and perception of the village's presence on the archaeological remains and identify and prioritise meaningful ways of intervention. Further efforts to engaged local communities will focus on capacity building through documentation and training linked to tangible results - seeking to enable the next generation of curators to have skills to deliver such documentation themselves. Such engagement will facilitate the education of local communities about the value of the archaeology beneath them.
Many of the defined threats to heritage also negatively affect people's health, such as proximity to garbage disposal and ground and water pollution. The gathered survey data will be used to define programmes to reduce and redirect garbage dumping and improve waste and water management systems of residential units to reduce ground pollution and increase personal health. Depending on the outcome of the community meetings and interviews; the project will develop solutions to the community's most pressing needs.
Such an all-inclusive approach has never been tested in Egypt, where fieldwork has traditionally been physically and intellectually separated from the surrounding environment and communities. It is, however, an opportune moment to develop more sustainable methodologies as ancient tells are at risk from the forces of nature and the impact of social, political, and economic change. Through collaboration with the Ministry of Antiquities, the impact of the established methodology can be accelerated if implemented at other sites or -even more fundamentally- incorporated into governmental strategies.
The employed methodology promotes (1) better integration of preservation and heritage management methodologies and specialists into archaeological fieldwork projects, (2) coordination and collaboration amongst different institutions and agencies concerned with heritage preservation, (3) engaging with local communities, local heritage professionals and other stakeholders through training and capacity building by hands-on experience and implementation of projects.
To achieve these goals, the British Museum will collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of Cairo-based consultants, staff of Cambridge University and local stake holders to develop a set of protection measures in order to uphold Shutb's archaeological value, to prevent further decay of the historic fabric and to enhance the socio-economic (living) conditions of the inhabitants. Two seasons of fieldwork in Shutb will include a series of surveys and meetings to assess the impact and perception of the village's presence on the archaeological remains and identify and prioritise meaningful ways of intervention. Further efforts to engaged local communities will focus on capacity building through documentation and training linked to tangible results - seeking to enable the next generation of curators to have skills to deliver such documentation themselves. Such engagement will facilitate the education of local communities about the value of the archaeology beneath them.
Many of the defined threats to heritage also negatively affect people's health, such as proximity to garbage disposal and ground and water pollution. The gathered survey data will be used to define programmes to reduce and redirect garbage dumping and improve waste and water management systems of residential units to reduce ground pollution and increase personal health. Depending on the outcome of the community meetings and interviews; the project will develop solutions to the community's most pressing needs.
Such an all-inclusive approach has never been tested in Egypt, where fieldwork has traditionally been physically and intellectually separated from the surrounding environment and communities. It is, however, an opportune moment to develop more sustainable methodologies as ancient tells are at risk from the forces of nature and the impact of social, political, and economic change. Through collaboration with the Ministry of Antiquities, the impact of the established methodology can be accelerated if implemented at other sites or -even more fundamentally- incorporated into governmental strategies.
Planned Impact
Threats to Egypt's unique archaeological resources - not just pharaonic, but of all period - are not new, but intensified under recent political instability. Well-defined means and methods of mitigating the impact of those threats, policies and legislation have not been implemented in meaningful ways that alter the conditions that brought about the increased illegal exploitation of archaeological resources nor did they impose preventative measures to restrict their looting, trafficking and destructive encroachment and vandalism. Sustainable heritage management can only be achieved by implementing preservation methodologies into archaeological fieldwork.
Through a case-study in the village of Shutb in Middle Egypt, the project aspires to develop an innovative and sustainable fieldwork strategy by integrating preservation and heritage management methodologies and specialists into archaeological fieldwork projects, promoting collaboration amongst different institutions concerned with heritage preservation, empowering participation of local communities and heritage professionals as stakeholders through training and capacity building, and providing a model that could be sustainably deployed elsewhere. By not only developing, but also testing and implementing new methods of mitigating the impact of those threats in meaningful ways, the current project pledges to minimise the conditions that bring about destruction of sites and illegal exploitation of archaeological resources. In addition, it seeks to define ways to integrate adjacent communities and other stakeholders as significant contributors to sustainable preservation.
The need for such an undertaking has never been more pressing as intensification of land use by the rising population for agriculture and expanding settlements is rapidly destroying archaeological sites. In addition, the number of fieldwork projects in the region is increasing providing an opportune moment to address sustainable and meaningful efforts to preserve Egypt's heritage as part of archaeological excavations. The established methodology promotes collaboration amongst different institutions and agencies concerned with heritage preservation. It can easily be deployed, with adjustments, at other sites and could steer governmental attitudes towards fieldwork in Egypt.
Many of the defined threats to heritage also negatively affect people's health, such as proximity to garbage disposal and ground and water pollution. Any intervention will thereby also have an impact on people's lives. Depending on the outcome of the community meetings and interviews; the project will develop solutions to the community's most pressing needs. Certain urgent interventions, however, such as reducing and redirecting garbage disposal, improving waste and water management systems of residential housing will be implemented during the second fieldwork season. Through collaboration with the Ministry of Antiquities, the established methodological framework will potentially affect larger communities when implemented at other sites or even incorporated into governmental strategies.
Through a case-study in the village of Shutb in Middle Egypt, the project aspires to develop an innovative and sustainable fieldwork strategy by integrating preservation and heritage management methodologies and specialists into archaeological fieldwork projects, promoting collaboration amongst different institutions concerned with heritage preservation, empowering participation of local communities and heritage professionals as stakeholders through training and capacity building, and providing a model that could be sustainably deployed elsewhere. By not only developing, but also testing and implementing new methods of mitigating the impact of those threats in meaningful ways, the current project pledges to minimise the conditions that bring about destruction of sites and illegal exploitation of archaeological resources. In addition, it seeks to define ways to integrate adjacent communities and other stakeholders as significant contributors to sustainable preservation.
The need for such an undertaking has never been more pressing as intensification of land use by the rising population for agriculture and expanding settlements is rapidly destroying archaeological sites. In addition, the number of fieldwork projects in the region is increasing providing an opportune moment to address sustainable and meaningful efforts to preserve Egypt's heritage as part of archaeological excavations. The established methodology promotes collaboration amongst different institutions and agencies concerned with heritage preservation. It can easily be deployed, with adjustments, at other sites and could steer governmental attitudes towards fieldwork in Egypt.
Many of the defined threats to heritage also negatively affect people's health, such as proximity to garbage disposal and ground and water pollution. Any intervention will thereby also have an impact on people's lives. Depending on the outcome of the community meetings and interviews; the project will develop solutions to the community's most pressing needs. Certain urgent interventions, however, such as reducing and redirecting garbage disposal, improving waste and water management systems of residential housing will be implemented during the second fieldwork season. Through collaboration with the Ministry of Antiquities, the established methodological framework will potentially affect larger communities when implemented at other sites or even incorporated into governmental strategies.
Publications
Regulski I
(2018)
A deep history of Shutb, ancient Shashotep
in The Department of Ancient Egypt and Sudan Newsletter
Regulski I.
(2018)
Shutb, Egypt: A Living History
in The British Museum Magazine
Regulski I.
(2019)
SHASHOTEP -SHUTB. AN ANCIENT CITY REDISCOVERED
in Journal of Egyptian Archaeology
Regulski I.
(2018)
Sustainable solutions towards cultural heritage preservation in Middle Egypt
in Egyptian Archaeology
| Title | The Last Layer |
| Description | The British Museum's project at Shutb studies the broad spectrum of the village's history - from 2500BC up until the present day, and considers the local community the last historical layer and an important stake holder in rediscovering this ancient past. Rather than merely looking upon the site as a salvage mission or academic pursuit, the project aspires to appeal to local interests and provide a model for innovative and sustainable fieldwork initiatives, promoting a local sense of ownership and awareness through values-based public engagement. The project is using film and storytelling as a strategic tool to explore various ways of (re)connecting the local community with its heritage. The aim is to build the importance of and increase appreciation for recent tangible and intangible history and use that to create a model for enhanced understanding of the past. 'The Last Layer. Reconnecting local communities with their heritage' is the first of a series of short films in which community members and the British Museum project team share their intentions, aspirations and cares. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2017 |
| Impact | The production of the film coincided with the initial survey phases of the project which defines the scope of what is perceived as heritage and, as such, worthy of preservation. Shutb is an outstanding example of traditional vernacular brick architecture, increasingly at threat in Egypt as people move towards red-brick, cement and breeze-block architecture. In tandem with the architectural documentation of this heritage, the film explores how traditional historic buildings, street fabrics and public spaces are perceived, used and reimagined by the local communities. The film serves as a forum to build trust between the community and the project. It was premiered at a public screening in the village of Shutb in October 2017. The community reacted positively and were keen to get more involved. The immediate result was a series of workshops to engage the community with the more recent heritage of the village, which resulted in footage for a second film (to be produced with follow-up funding). |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9GR_lJqQdA |
| Description | The project underway at Shutb in Middle Egypt offers a model for innovative and sustainable fieldwork that addresses a historical spectrum extending from antiquity to the present. Shutb, five kilometres south of Asyut, is both a farming town and a multi-layered archaeological site. Perched atop the remains of ancient Shashotep, capital of the 11th Upper Egyptian province from 2000BC onwards, Shutb has been continuously inhabited for four millennia. Fieldwork in the Nile Valley has traditionally focused on the extensive cemeteries of the Memphite region and Luxor, alongside the temples further south. Shutb presents an ideal archaeological and anthropological research context and a rare opportunity to track a living history. The British Museum project aspires to promote increased empowerment of, and participation by, the local communities who live atop the history below. In tandem with the archaeological fieldwork on Shutb's ancient tell (settlement mound) and the surrounding landscape, the project aims to build the importance of and increase appreciation for recent tangible (vernacular architecture) and intangible history and use that to create a model for establishing an understanding of the past. An initial scoping visit to Asyut and Shutb in March 2016, supported by the first Newton Musharafa Fund (of which we only received 50%) successfully established contact with the local community in Shutb and the inspectorate in Asyut. All parties expressed a keen interested in collaboration. The project was able to survey the archaeological remains and vernacular architecture to test the potential for affiliating this heritage with local interests and the socio-economic needs of the community. The outcomes of the initial survey season have been used to steer a second, third and (party funded) fourth field season. All have been extremely successful in that we have been able to (1) gather a wealth of new information on the history of Shutb and (2) engage the local community in digesting and disseminating this information in a way that positively affects local perceptions of how heritage can be used as a development goal. The survey of the urban fabric and vernacular architecture in the village of Shutb identified the most significant architecture worth documenting/preserving, their state of preservation and levels of integrity. Documentation of these buildings as well as the life styles of the residents has been given priority in subsequent seasons. Reports can be consulted and downloaded on the British Museum research page but the main goals achieved can be summarized as follows: 1. Apart from architectural drawings of floor plans, vernacular facade continuums, and significant architectural elements (i.e. windows, doors, woodwork, etc.), the team developed Building Profiles for each of the documented buildings. Each building profile includes the following information: building height, construction and state of conservation, state of integrity, external appearance, external architectural features, occupancy and use patterns, occupants' narratives, and internal architectural features. 2. Subsequent site visits focussed on getting information on the residents' life style (i.e. how they use the building, its different spaces and furniture), and the use of public open spaces with important use value that reflect the lifestyle and dynamism of the village (such as the marketplace). Additionally, during the mission, the team interacted not only with the residents of the targeted buildings, but also with other stakeholders and residents in the village. These included "shaykh al-balad" (a local government representative on the village level), some shopkeepers and passers-by. 3. A survey of existing infrastructure systems such as solid waste disposal, sewerage and fresh water networks answered the following questions: Who is responsible for garbage collection and do defined spots for disposal and collection exist? Where do fresh water supplies come from? Are wells being dug in the vicinity of the village? Information on transport routes, and commercial and industrial activities, was also included. Despite the previous coordination with the oumda (Mayor of Shutb), the team faced some challenges during the survey and documentation process. These challenges can be summarized as follows: 1. Some of the targeted houses included in the survey were vacant. Mostly, their residents abandoned them and relocated to new houses in the village's modern urban extensions or to other areas outside of the village. This is primarily due to: a. Structural deterioration of these houses and lack of the residents' financial capacity to rehabilitate them; b. The inability of the residents to demolish their deteriorated houses and build anew since their houses are structurally integrated with other neighbouring buildings; c. The residents' want to move away from the socially, economically and physically deteriorated core of the village. Despite the above, the team was able to access some of these vacant houses since their residents were still residing in other areas of Shutb. These residents were cooperative and facilitated the team's task to survey and document the targeted buildings. 2. The team was not able to identify the owners of some of the targeted buildings. The neighbours living beside these houses were not fully cooperative since they had some doubts and concerns about the team's mission in the village. Some of the residents thought that the team is enlisting these targeted buildings as monuments; hence, their owners might lose their ownership status to the Ministry of Antiquities. Some other residents though that the team's mission was to officially identify buildings that would be demolished at a later stage for official excavation purposes. The team exerted extended efforts trying to explain the purpose of the mission and that there are no threats or negative consequences involved in documenting these houses. After three field seasons, the team has been partly successful in conveying that message. This issue requires more long-term communication efforts to enhance trust among the local residents. 3. Efforts to engage local stakeholders focussed on disseminating this information. A workshop in Shutb discussed short and long-term interventions with stakeholders such as redirecting garbage disposal and improving waste management systems for residential housing and potential adaptive re-use of a set of vacant mud-brick buildings into a community centre where performances, information and training sessions can take place. 4. Architect Heba Shama trained three young adolescents from the village as tour guides. The impetus was a few planned visits from organisations who had read about the project and wished to visit the village of Shutb. The idea is that long-term local inhabitants can tour visitors through their village. Several community meetings were organised to discuss long-term goals of the project with local stakeholders, including the community and representatives of the Ministry of Antiquities. The reoccurring issue of looting in the region and the fact that the local store room is inaccessible for the local community were addressed. Film and photo documentation and interviews during a number of gatherings shows that the local inhabitants of Shutb have started to value their cultural heritage. The created footage will be used in a follow-up film on 'The Last Layer', but the production is funded by another grant. A team of geologists from Cambridge University have joined the British Museum team in Shutb to investigate the geological changes in the landscape surrounding the village. Based on old maps, the team decided to test the method of augering. The outcome of their work has been added to the partnership section. |
| Exploitation Route | Dissemination through publication and public outreach events. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Construction,Creative Economy,Education,Environment,Healthcare,Leisure Activities, including Sports, Recreation and Tourism,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| URL | http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/research_projects/all_current_projects/asyut_urban_development.aspx |
| Description | An interdisciplinary team of Egyptian and UK-based consultants has collaborated with local stake holders to develop a set of protection measures in order to uphold the site's archaeological value, to prevent further decay of the historic fabric and to enhance the socio-economic conditions of the inhabitants. During a field season in October 2017, supported by the first NM grant, the project acted as liaison between the different stake holders in the Improved Sanitation Project (ISSIP II). In June 2014, Asyut's governor inaugurated a sanitation treatment and pumping station as part of an infrastructure and basic services development plan for Shutb village. This effort is part of a larger World Bank funded project (ISSIP II PHASE II, EGP 570 million) aimed at extending improved sanitation services to many of Egypt's rural areas. The project has been blocked by the Ministry of Antiquities as the project required digging 2m deep trenches which may potentially harm archaeological layers below. An initial meeting organised by the British Museum project in collaboration with Takween Integrated Community Development was attended by local representatives of the World bank project, engineers of the water company, the sheikh el-Balad (representing the village population) and local representatives of the Ministry of Antiquities. Based on the outcomes of that meeting, Takween was contracted to create a report on the impact of the project followed by a set of recommendations that can be adopted during its implementation. They are included in the Mission I report, which can be downloaded from the British Museum research page. In line with these recommendations regarding the on-going sanitation project in Shutb, the Takween team continued communicating with the different stakeholders to better understand the impact of the project on the village and its built heritage. To this effect, the team managed during the following missions to conduct the following contacts and meetings: - The team met first with the Governor of Asyut to inform him of the role of Takween, the scope of the different missions, and to share with him the concerns regarding the sanitation project and its potential impact on the archaeological site and the traditional buildings in the village. During the meeting, the team requested from the governorate further information on the sanitation project. The meeting was fruitful and subsequently, the Governor organized a meeting between the team and officials from the Drinking Water and Sanitation Company. - The team met with an official from the World Bank funded Project Unit in the Drinking Water and Sanitation Company. The team emphasized the importance of the sanitation project for Shutb; however, it is important to mitigate its potential negative impact. Following this meeting, the team obtained the following documents: i) the environmental impact study report for the improved sanitation project in Shutb; ii) the general layout and slopes of the planned sanitation network; iii) the general layout of the planned expulsion lines. - The team met with a member of the residents' group in Shutb which donated the parcel of land for the construction of the sewage treatment plant. The meeting revealed that the improved sanitation project is the result of long efforts and demands of the residents to improve the living and environmental conditions in the village. During the meeting the team was presented with some correspondences illustrating that the sanitation project started as a collective local initiative from the residents themselves. Based on the above communications, Takween's team organized a coordination meeting between the different stakeholders, including representatives from: the UK based geologists working Shutb; the Ministry of Antiquities; the sanitation project consultant (Utilities Company); the sanitation project contractor (Rolan Company); the Local Council of Shutb; in addition to shaykh al-balad, some local leaders, and a number of subcontractors. Takween, the British Museum team and the Ministry of Antiquities representatives asserted during the meeting that they fully understand the importance of the sanitation project to the village and its residents. Hence, the intention is not to hinder the project; rather, it is to ensure that measures to mitigate its potential negative impact on the archaeological site and the traditional buildings are taken and that effective coordination among the different parties is taking place. During the meeting, the different parties reviewed the project documents. Based on this review, Takween team suggested a more comprehensive list of recommendations. Based on this, the Ministry of Antiquities has approved the continuation of the Sanitation project during mission III in 2017. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
| Sector | Construction,Environment,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
| Description | PRAXIS case study |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Citation in other policy documents |
| Impact | The report is the result of one year of intensive collaborative work, made of in-depth conversations, interviews, online surveys, and consultations with GRCF Challenge Leaders, Portfolio Managers, Principal Investigators, Co-investigators, and partners through an iterative process and including communication with AHRC. The report incorporates also the key findings from PRAXIS Learning Events on 'Heritage and Policy' and 'Food and Heritage', as well as from the Nexus Event on 'Heritage for Global Challenges'. |
| URL | https://changingthestory.leeds.ac.uk/lebanon-report_16-06-2020_v02-min/ |
| Description | NEWTON FUND INSTITUTIONAL LINKS |
| Amount | £239,232 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 274662441 |
| Organisation | British Council |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 04/2017 |
| End | 03/2019 |
| Description | Partnership with Cambridge University |
| Organisation | University of Cambridge |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | We only provided logistical support. |
| Collaborator Contribution | A team of geologists from Cambridge University have joined the British Museum team in Shutb to investigate the geological changes in the landscape surrounding the village of Shutb. Based on old maps, the team decided to test the method of augering (hand drilling). Data obtained from the samples have been analysed back in the UK. The results will appear in the Journal of Egyptian Archaeology article mentioned in the publication section. |
| Impact | Through augering, the project hopes to (1) identify the periods at which the settlement of ancient Shashotep (modern Shutb) was occupied, (2) define the boundary of the ancient city at different periods, and (3) delineate the relationship between the city and the surrounding landscape. For example, inscriptions in the tombs of Asyut suggest that Asyut and Shashotep were on the river during the First Intermediate period (2200BC). It is not possible to use the former basin divide and hôd boundaries as records of former Nile behaviour because they appear to have been laid out more recently, possibly during the Islamic period. This new 200m squares grid covers the ancient structure of the landscape. Augering on either side of such basin divides, known from ancient maps, can determine whether sediments on one side suggest greater accumulation of water than the other. To test this hypothesis, several lines of boreholes with an augur hand-drill were made in the fields and gardens surrounding Shutb. Based on the results of the previous auger season (Oct 2016), we focussed on the areas to the west of the tell. The augering (auger sites AS012-AS029) has produced a large number of soil samples, which have been analysed during the fieldwork. The augering revealed that there is a blanket of sediment associated with the Mamluk irrigation scheme that is up to 3.5m thick. This sediment covers the pre-existing topography rendering the landscape history of the area cryptic. The cumulated results from the cores so far suggest that there were a number of channels around the area at different points and indicate that Tell Shutb was already elevated above the floodplain during the Old Kingdom. The prevalence of river-lain sands around the flanks of the tell suggest that the ancient city may have been founded on an island. Pottery rich cores at AS017 and AS018 suggest that there may have been another outpost of the settlement to the west although its precise location cannot yet be determined. Forthcoming pottery dates are expected to provide tighter controls on the periods of occupation and the correlations between deposits. The resulting data are still being processed. |
| Start Year | 2017 |
| Description | Partnership with a local urban development company |
| Organisation | Takween Integrated Community Development |
| Country | Egypt |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Our research team has mainly provided logistical support and exchanged information and data. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The architectural survey of vernacular architecture and existing infrastructure systems (such as sewerage and fresh water networks) as well as the socio-cultural surveys were carried out by members of Takween Integrated Community Development (http://takween-eg.com/index.html). Takween is a leading community development service provider in the Middle East that offers hands-on technical expertise for built environment, social and economic development interventions. |
| Impact | Takween's reports can be found on the British Museum-Asyut region project page: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/research_projects/all_current_projects/asyut_urban_development.aspx As the company consists of native speakers with a lot of experience in dealing with rural developing contexts, our work would not be possible without the involvement of such expertise. Takween provides a constant liaison between the British Museum team and local stakeholders. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Partnership with the Ministry of Antiquities |
| Organisation | Ministry of State of Antiquities |
| Country | Egypt |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Exchange of information, training and capacity building. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities provides logistical support and supervises work on the ground through local inspectors. Representative Mohamed Soliman is 'Director of the modern age-antiquities' sites at the Ministry of Antiquities after having been the director for development of Islamic and Coptic sites in Alexandra and the Northern coast. Soliman provided important liaison with the local representatives of the Ministry of Antiquities. |
| Impact | All aspects of the work conducted locally are in collaboration with the Ministry of Antiquities. Without their support, projects are not allowed to work. |
| Start Year | 2016 |
| Description | Annual Egyptological Colloquium |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | On 20-21 July, 2017, The British Museum's Annual Egyptological Colloquium focussed on 'Asyut through time: conflict and culture in Middle Egypt'. The international colloquium discussed the deep history of this region - from 2500BC up until the present day, including the varied responses of local communities who live atop the layers of history below. Results of recent fieldwork were complemented by discussions of material culture and archives that ended up in international museum collections. The British Museum fieldwork in the village of Shutb formed a separate section. Lectures on our work were presented by Ann-Cathrin Gabel, FU Berlin ('The 11th upper Egyptian nome: shedding new light on a neglected neighbour of Asyut'); Judith Bunbury, Cambridge University & Ilona Regulski, British Museum ('A deep history of Shutb; in search of ancient Shashotep'); Heba Shama & Kareem Ibrahim, Takween Integrated Community Development (Valorizing the Ordinary: Documenting the vernacular heritage of Shutb village). The Documentary film 'The Last Layer, reconnecting local communities with their heritage' was shown as the closing event. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.britishmuseum.org/whats_on/events_calendar/event_detail.aspx?eventId=3753&title=Asyut:%20... |
| Description | Community meetings WWP (Sanitation project) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | During a field season in October 2017, supported by the first NM grant, the project acted as liaison between the different stakes holders in the Improved Sanitation Project (ISSIP II). In June 2014, the Asyut's governorate inaugurated a sanitation treatment and pumping station as part of an infrastructure and basic services' development plan for Shutb village. This effort is part of a larger World Bank funded project (ISSIP II PHASE II, EGP 570 million) aimed at extending improved sanitation services to many of Egypt's rural areas. The project had been blocked by the Ministry of Antiquities as the construction works require digging 2m deep trenches which may potentially harm archaeological layers below. An initial meeting organised by the British Museum project in collaboration with Takween Integrated Community Development was attended by local representatives of the World bank project, engineers of the water company, the sheikh el-Balad (representing the village population) and local representatives of the Ministry of Antiquities. Based on the outcomes of that meeting, Takween was contracted to create a report on the impact of the project followed by a set of recommendations that can be adopted during its implementation. They are included in the Mission I report, which can be downloaded from the British Museum research page. In line with these recommendations regarding the on-going sanitation project in Shutb, the Takween team continued communicating with the different stakeholders to better understand the impact of the project on the village and its built heritage. To this effect, the team managed during the following missions to conduct the following contacts and meetings: - The team met first with the Governor of Asyut to inform him of the role of Takween, the scope of the different missions, and to share with him concerns regarding the sanitation project and its potential impact on the archaeological site and the traditional buildings in the village. During the meeting, the team requested from the governorate further information on the sanitation project. The meeting was fruitful and subsequently, the Governor organized a meeting between the team and officials from the Drinking Water and Sanitation Company. - The team met with an official from the World Bank funded Project Unit in the Drinking Water and Sanitation Company. The team emphasized the importance of the sanitation project for Shutb; however, it is important to mitigate its potential negative impact. Following this meeting, the team obtained the following documents: i) the environmental impact study report for the improved sanitation project in Shutb; ii) the general layout and slopes of the planned sanitation network; iii) the general layout of the planned expulsion lines. - The team met with a member of the residents' group in Shutb which donated the parcel of land dedicated for the construction of the sewage treatment plant. The meeting revealed that the improved sanitation project is the result of long efforts and demands of the residents to improve the living and environmental conditions in the village. During the meeting the team was presented with some correspondence illustrating that the sanitation project started as a collective local initiative from the residents themselves. Based on the above communications, Takween's team organized a coordination meeting between the different stakeholders, including representatives from: the UK based geologists working in Shutb; the Ministry of Antiquities; the sanitation project consultant (Utilities Company); the sanitation project contractor (Rolan Company); the Local Council of Shutb; in addition to shaykh al-balad, some local leaders, and a number of subcontractors. Takween, the British Museum team and the Ministry of Antiquities representatives asserted during the meeting that they fully understand the importance of the sanitation project to the village and its residents. Hence, the intention is not to hinder the project; rather, is to ensure that measures to mitigate its potential negative impact on the archaeological site and the traditional buildings are taken and that effective coordination among the different parties is taking place. During the meeting, the different parties reviewed the project documents. Based on this review, Takween team suggested a more comprehensive list of recommendations. Based on this, the Ministry of Antiquities has approved the continuation of the Sanitation project in 2017. The construction works are still ongoing. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/research_projects/all_current_projects/asyut_urban_development... |
| Description | Context documentation and pottery training course for local inspectors (RAH23) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | In anticipation of the World Bank funded Waste Water Project (WWP), which requires digging trenches into archaeological layers, survey training was organised by Ilona Regulski for the inspectors of the Ministry of Antiquities - the Asyut inspectorate. The training aimed at documenting the context of surface finds and finds from the rubble of the WWP trenches. The latter are consistently between 2 and 2.5 meters deep. Participants: Abeer Mohamed Ali Mousa, Asmaa Abd el-Sabur Soleyman, Fatma Amir Youssef, Ghada Ali Maree, Lisa Khalil Beshay, Osama Samir Ghali, Peter Girgir Anwar, Rehab Mohamed Abu Sriyaa, Taher Ahmad Madqur Key components were: (1) Getting a feeling for landscape features through walking survey, (2) Identifying spots for surface collection and future geo-physical survey, (3) Collecting surface or WWP pottery and labelling the finds, (4) Documenting the find spot through GPS and photography, (5) Integrating the results into Google Earth. The focus was on the fields surrounding Shutb. Selection of the areas was based on a preliminary survey carried out in Oct 2016 and the maps provided by the water management company. In addition, a pottery training course was organised and conducted by Khaled Zazaa, former illustrator of the French Archaeological Institute in Cairo. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Drawing tours in Shutb Village (by CUS) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | The project engaged Cairo Urban Sketchers for sketching and drawing services and organizing a community workshop in March 2017. The aim was to organise sketching tours through the village with children aged between 12 and 16 in order to (1) draw attention to the vernacular architecture as an example of modern heritage, and (2) a way to build trust with the community. The workshop was very successful; about 40 children attended, and an exhibition of the created art works was organised and visited by parents and other members of the community. The 5 best drawings were chosen and the winners were awarded with drawing material. Although this was only a test, the local schools showed an interest in continuing such activities reaching out to more children. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| URL | http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/research_projects/all_current_projects/asyut_urban_development... |
| Description | EES webinar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Lecture entitled 'Culture heritage as sustainable development: A case-study from the Asyut region (Middle Egypt)' in an online workshop 'Practices of Community Engagement in Egypt and Sudan', organised by the Egypt Exploration Society. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Heritage Day in the village of Shutb |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | On 1 November 2017, the project organized a heritage day in the youth club in the village of Shutb to: (1) disseminate the results and golas achieved so far; (2) discuss future plans and interventions; (3) show the first film 'The Last Layer'. The event was announced by the muezzin during the Friday prayer so a large audience turned up, including a representative of the governorate of Asyut. The screening of the film drew a lot of positive reactions, which provided the perfect base for creating footage for a second film. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |
| Description | Training course in adaptive re-use of historical buildings (in London) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | In July 2017, a group of local heritage specialists and conservators of the Asyut division of the Ministry of Antiquities was invited to London to participate in the annual colloquium and subsequent training course. The training course addressed the issue of preserving local heritage through adaptive re-use of historic buildings including interior design and museum display. The UK has taken a leading role in preserving historical buildings and making them accessible for varied communities through museum display and interpretative programming. The best examples are country houses turned into museums. In Asyut, the local inspectorate is preparing a plan for the restoration and subsequent rehabilitation of the Alexan palace; a family estate dating to 1904 and now in the possession of the Ministry of Antiquities. This is an exceptional initiative and needs encouragement; early 20th century villas are being rapidly destroyed all over Egypt and even if they get the necessary attention through restoration, they are usually not accessible to the public. As a result, Egypt has limited successful examples which the Alexan team could use as a model to learn or get inspiration from. The core team of this project, consisting of the main decision makers and restorers, has therefore been chosen as the target group of this training course: Khaled Abdelmalek Abuzed Ahmed, Niazy Mostafa Mohamed Mahmoud, Radwa Ezzat Mahmoud Sayed, Souhir Abdelnaeim Taha Gomaa. The group was enriched with two Egyptian architects from Takween Integrated Community Development Kareem Ibrahim and Heba Shama, who also presented during the colloquium. Note that some planned participants did not obtain their visa. The gained experience has been presented at a lecture in the British Museum at the end of the course but has also been disseminated to a larger group of local stakeholders in Asyut in October 2017 and will be presented at the British Council on 7 March 2018. Programme Wed, 19 July: CAI-LON Arrivals and check-into hotel Bedford Thu - Fri, 20-21 July: The British Museum Annual Colloquium on the Asyut region Sat, 22 July: Move to new accommodation, + visit Kenwood house (early 17th century) Sun, 23 July: Visit Syon Park (house), home of the Duke of Northumberland (early 17th century) Mon, 24 July: Guided visit of Charlton House (early 17th century) and Visit Eltham palace (14th to the 16th centuries), rebuilt by the Courtaulds in 1933. Tue, 25 July: Victorian and Albert Museum and the British Museum with tours in the permanent collection and the conservation labs by colleagues from the furniture and wood conservation team. Followed by: Behind-the-scenes tour of the World Conservation and Exhibition Centre at the British Museum: stone, wall paintings and mosaics conservation. Wed, 26 July: Visit the British Museum off-site storage at Orsman Road followed by a visit of the British Museum AOA (Africa, Oceania and the Americas) collection of 19th century Asyut objects. Visit Apsley House, home of the Duke of Wellington from 1819, in the afternoon. Thu, 27 July: Behind-the-scenes Egyptian stores (AES) at the British Museum, final presentation 'The rehabilitation project of the khedival (1910) Alexan Palace in Asyut (Middle Egypt)' Fri, 28 July: Departure LHR-CAI 15:50 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017 |