Giorgio Buccellati 2015

“L’archeologia come presenza morale a Tell Mozan in Siria,”
Bollettino dell’Associazione Archeologica Ticinese 27, pp. 20-25.

Archaeology is indeed a link between past and present and the archaeologists act as a historical interface.

Thus, the responsibility and the deontology of the archaeological practice, both on the field and for what concerns the relationship with the countries they are working in (and for).

This paper presents a possible way to play a key-role, as archaeologists, in reconnecting past and present in difficult times, like in war period: G. Buccellati tells us his own experience at Tell Mozan after 2011, acting physically on distance but with a clear effectiveness.

The main topics are three: 1) the maintenance and preservation of the structures of Urkesh (developing different strategies for the walls and for the covering of the abi); 2) the fruition of the site by tourists, thanks to creation of an eco-archaeological park described by panels presenting “the site as a book” (a second aspect of fruition is the accessibility through the web [see Urkesh.org] to the archaeological finds, which have a own dignity) [furthermore, the presence of tourists could help the social accommodation structure to develop]; 3) last, but not least, the promotion of local crafting manufacture undertaken on the initiative of women of Mozan.

The outcome is a intensive dialogue by distance, strengthening the moral presence of foreign archaeologists (become friends) in a country devasted by war.

In sum, the keywords of this contribution are ‘vitality’ and ‘hope’, presenting archaeology as a force for local cohesiveness.

[A box on p. 24 briefly summarizes Tell Mozan/Urkesh’s history].