May 19 – AUR

Federico Buccellati “A Stakeholder Success Story: The Eco-Archaeological Park at Tell Mozan, Syria"

June 23 – Institut Français à Erbil, Iraq

Giorgio Buccellati, Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati, Federico Buccellati “Urkesh entre 3500 - 1300 av. J.C. / Tell Mozan, Syrie, 2011-2014 apr. J.C."

July – Peripherie Wirtschaftszonen in Siedlungen Workshop, Bonn, Germany

August 24 – Meeting per l'Amicizia fra i Popoli, Rimini, Italy

Giorgio Buccellati “Il 'gigante addormentato': Urkesh nel periodo della rivoluzione urbana"

October 7 – Rassegna Internazionale del Cinema Archeologico, Rovereto, Italy

Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati, Giorgio Buccellati, Federico Buccellati “L'archeologia nell'occhio del ciclone: Alla riscoperta di valori antichi nel mezzo di un conflitto moderno"

October 30 – Licei Classico, Scientifico, Artistico Fondazione Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy

Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “La storia nascota nella terra“ Video of lecture

November 4 – Liceo 'Rosmini', Teatro Galletti, Domodossola, Italy

Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “La storia nascosta nella terra“

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February 27 – School of Theology and Religious Studies, Catholic University of America, USA

Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati, Federico Buccellati “In the Eye of the Storm: Archaeology in the Midst of War in Syria"

April 28 – Berliner Antike Kolleg and Vorderasiatische Institut der Freien Universität Berlin, Germany

Caitlin Chaves Yates “Complex Cities: Spatial Organization of Lower Towns and Outer Cities in EBA Northern Mesopotamia"

November 30 - SIRIA, patrimonio archeologico e artistico: passato, presente ... futuro?, University of Pavia, Italy

Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “Past, Present, Future"

December 3 – International Syrian Congress on Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, Beirut, Lebanon

Giorgio Buccellati, Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati, Samer Abdul Ghafour “Urkesh 4000-1300 B.C., Mozan 2011-2015 A.D.”

December 18 – Fondazione Faraggiana, Novara, Italy

Giorgio Buccellati, Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati, Samer Abdul Ghafour “Le due mezzelune fertili: ieri e oggi”

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January 27 – Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, USA

June 14 – Centro Culturale di Firenze, Italy

Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati and Giorgio Buccellati “Siria. Salvare la memoria per ricostruire il futuro. Adesso”

June 25 – Association for Research into Crimes Against Art

Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati and Giorgio Buccellati “Before the Flood: Systemic Prevention of Damage and Looting at Archaeological Sites. The Case of Tell Mozan”

October 31 – Mele Miele, Baceno, Italy

Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati and Giorgio Buccellati “Storie dalla Siria”

November 9 – Associazione Archeologica Ticinese, Italy

Giorgio Buccellati “Un'esplosione di senso. Dalle origini della scrittura al cuneiforme”

November 15 – Museo Egizio, Torino, Italy

Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “Coraggio fra le rovine. L'archeologia come presenza morale in Siria”

December 10 – New Visions and Proposals for the Resiience of the Syrian Heritage, Damascus, Syria

Giorgio Buccellati “The Urkesh Experiment – 1. Conservation and public outreach”

December 16 – CAMNES, Firenze, Italy

Giorgio Buccellati “Archeologia pubblica e comunicazione in Siria: da Damasco a Urkesh”

December 17 – CAMNES, Firenze, Italy

Giorgio Buccellati “Strategie locali di tutela e modelli di intervento: l'esperimento di Urkesh in Siria”

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January 14 – AVASA, Beola, Italy

Giorgio Buccellati, Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati, Yasmine Mahmoud “Una sfida tranquilla: Il colloquio di Damasco e i progetti di AVASA”

February 8 – The Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, USA

Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “In the Eye of the Storm: Archaeology as Moral Presence in War Torn Syria” Video of lecture

April 1 – The PLATO Society of Los Angeles, USA

Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “A Syrian Snapshot: Archaeology as Moral Presence at Tell Mozan”

April 12 – Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, Los Angeles, USA

Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati and Giorgio Buccellati “Community Archaeology 1984” Video of lecture

April 20 – Houston Museum of Natural Science, USA

Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “In the Eye of the Storm: Archaeology in the Midst of War in Syria”

October 30 – Scuola Media Statale di Domodossola

Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati and Giorgio Buccellati “L'archeologia contro la guerra”. With this meeting the school project officially starts, involving dozens of students in Italy and Syria. In a hall packed of students, the directors of the archaeological excavation of Urkesh/Tell Mozan, Giorgio and Marilyn Buccellati, described to the children the site and its importance, not only for Syria but for the whole history of the development of civilizations in the ancient world. From now on, it will be up to the young people who have attended this meeting to question themselves, together with their educators, and to exchange provocations on themes related to the past, cultural traditions and the protection of the landscape.

November 10 – Biblioteca Comunale, Baceno

Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “I millenni per oggi. L'archeologia per la pace a Tell Mozan (Siria)”

November 15 – American University of Beirut

Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “Archaeology for a Young Future” How an archaeological site in Syria has come to stand as a symbol of pride in the past and of hope for the future.

December 1 – 'Urkesh musical group' (Domodossola)

Giorgio Buccellati, Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “Lecture at the 'Urkesh musical group' in Domodossola”. Giorgio and Marilyn Buccellati met the youngsters who had accepted the challenge of preparing a musical interpretation of the exhibition that we are preparing for Rimini. During the lesson, the Professors presented the excavation of Urkesh and the conservation techniques used on the site, but above all they provided an overview on the general situation of the area, explaining how the local population responds to the “provocation” of archaeology. The kids, under the guidance of Prof. Enzo Sartori, showed a lively interest and enthusiastically engaged in carrying out the project.

December 8 – Shanghai Archaeological Forum

Giorgio Buccellati, Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati and Fanxi Xu “Archaeology for a Young Future. The New Syrian Life of the Ancient City of Urkesh”

December 13 – Institute for the History of Ancient Civilizations, Northeastern University, Changchun

Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “In the Eye of the Storm. Archaeology in the Midst of War in Syria”

December 15 – Biblioteca Teresiana, Università degli Studi, Pavia

Giorgio Buccellati and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “Il nuovo volto dell'archeologia nel Vicino Oriente: l'impatto sulle comunità locali” Two conferences on Urkesh have been held in Pavia; we were guests of Prof. Clelia Mora. Yasmine Mahmoud, a graduate student of the history program at the University of Pavia, came for the occasion from Damascus, and we see her here together with Prof. Mora, Giorgio and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati, in the “Biblioteca Teresiana”, the place of one of the two conferences. The other conference was given to a group of high school students, to whom we presented in particular our middle schools program.

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January – Qamishli

Giorgio Buccellati, Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “Urkesh at the Qamishli middle school” In January, our project to raise awareness towards the past among the children started in Qamishli. Here are our first students, smiling and proud in their class where they meet in the afternoon to study English. The project currently involves a twinning with a music middle school in Domodossola, where three classes have already begun to reflect on the value of the past from the beginning of the 2017/2018 school year. We are sure that from this newly established dialogue we will all have much to learn, about ourselves and the younger generations.

March 28 – Durham University (UK)

Giorgio Buccellati, Stefania Ermidoro “Conference at the BANEA conference, Durham University (UK)” Our project was presented at the annual conference of the British Association for Near East Archeology, BANEA. In particular, we have emphasized the three "pillars" on which our project is based: conservation of the archaeological site, research and education program, and support for the local economy. Always counting on the relationship of mutual trust that has been established over the years between the directors of the excavations with the local communities. The results obtained at Tell Mozan, despite the simplicity of the means at our disposal and the economy of the resources that we use, have been recognized also on this occasion as a unique example of resilience and presence on the territory.

June 18 – San Marino Republic (Villa Manzoni)

Giorgio Buccellati, Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “I valori nascosti dell'archeologia: un episodio della guerra in Siria” [“The hidden values of archaeology: an episode of the Syrian war”]. In Villa Manzoni, in the Republic of San Marino, there has been a conference entitled “I valori nascosti dell'archeologia: un episodio della guerra in Siria” [“The hidden values of archaeology: an episode of the Syrian war”], promoted by the State Congress of the Republic of San Marino in collaboration with Banca di San Marino SpA and the Foundation “Meeting per l'Amicizia fra i Popoli” [Meeting for friendship among peoples]. In addition to the directors of the Tell Mozan/Urkesh project, Giorgio and Marilyn Buccellati, also Nicola Renzi (Italian Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Justice), Domenico Lombardi (CEO of the Banca di San Marino SpA), and Emilia Guarnieri (President of the Foundation “Meeting per l'Amicizia fra i Popoli”) took part to this initiative. This has been the occasion to discuss about the current situation in Syria and the role that archaeology can play in order to restore the profound value of the dispersed or destroyed cultural heritage, and give it back to the Syrian population.

June 23 – Leiden

[credits: E. van Nieuwland]

Giorgio Buccellati, Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati “'Archaeology for Peace' in Leiden” Once again, our project has been the protagonist of a major event: this time in Leiden, in the Netherlands. The university of Leiden, in collaboration with the associations “Ex Oriente Lux” and “Oriental Landscape Leiden” has invited the Profs. Buccellati to an entire day of debate and reflection about the topic “Archeology for Peace” [an abstract of the paper given by the Professors is available at this link]. The event included an exhibition on Urkesh which showed the latest projects carried out on the site together with the local communities, as well as a conference. Giorgio and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati explained how Urkesh, today, is a symbol of pride in a shared past and a united future. The day has ended with an evening performance by the “New European Ensemble & Geert Mul”, with music inspired by the Syrian city of Palmyra.

November 14-17 – Denver (USA)

Federico Buccellati “Research, Communication, and Identity in Times of Crisis: The Example of Tell Mozan” Federico Buccellati attended the annual meeting of the American Schools of Oriental Research (ASOR) held in Denver (USA), with a presentation entitled “Research, Communication, and Identity in Times of Crisis: The Example of Tell Mozan”. A large audience composed of colleagues from all over the world could thus hear how the archaeological mission is still active in Urkesh, and be informed about the numerous activities constantly supported by AVASA.

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March 14 – Kiel

Hiba Qassar “Archaeology and Syrian Identity: 'Urkesh Gate', a good Tale from Syria” On the occasion of the International Workshop Socio-Environmental Dynamics over the Last 15,000 Years: The Creation of Landscapes VI, at the German University of Kiel, Hiba Qassar gave a lecture entitled “Archaeology and Syrian Identity: 'Urkesh Gate', a good Tale from Syria”. The conference raised considerable interest, and it prompted a discussion on the possibility of following the example of Mozan as a method to be applied in other Mediterranean sites. At this page you can find a description of the event by Hiba Qassar.

May 15 – Berlin (FUB)

Federico Buccellati “Tell Mozan and the possibilities of cultural protection from below” “Tell Mozan and the possibilities of cultural protection from below”. This is the title of an invited lecture given by Federico Buccellati at the Freie University in Berlin, within the frame of a Seminar entitled “Basics and development of cultural property protection in the Middle East”. Federico Buccellati has provided evidence of the efficient Site Preservation Project carried out at Tell Mozan, also addressing wider issues such as Cultural Heritage and Community Archaeology.

December 14 – Shanghai

Fanxi Xu “Long range connections in Mesopotamia as evidence of globalization: the Hurrians of Urkesh and the cloves of Terqa” “Fanxi Xu, a collaborator and former member of the Tell Mozan archaeological mission, has given a paper in Shanghai entitled “Long range connections in Mesopotamia as evidence of globalization: the Hurrians of Urkesh and the cloves of Terqa”. The presentation, written in collaboration with Federico Buccellati, Giorgio Buccellati, and Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati, analyzes the existing geographical links in the so-called 'Outer fertile crescent' on the basis of the archaeological findings made in the two sites.

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June 11, 16, 23 – Università degli Studi di Napoli “L'Orientale”
ISMEO - Associazione Internazionale di Studi sul Mediterraneo e l'Oriente.

November 11 – CAMNES You Tube Channel
CAMNES - BuNEER 2.

Giorgio Buccellati, Marilyn Kelly-Buccellati et al. “Urkesh beyond Urkesh: Community and Digitality” Video You Tube (CAMNES) Brief presentation (by Valentina Santini, CAMNES):      “Excavations of ancient Urkesh have been on halt for the last nine years, but another kind of Urkesh has emerged during this time of crisis, It is in the first place an Urkesh that has been re-embedded in modern consciousness, through an extensive project of community archaeology, and it is, in the second place, an Urkesh that has been transposed into a new kind of digital existence. We will present both aspects, with special emphasis on the innovative Urkesh Global Record which proposes a methodological approach whereby excavation and publishing are merged into a single process.      Speakers and sections (in order of appearance): - Intro (V.Santini) 0:00 - Merilyn Kelly-Buccellati, Los Angeles 6:54 - Giorgio Buccellati, Los Angeles 12:24 - Amer Ahmad, Qamishli 18:38 - Giorgio Buccellati, Los Angeles 25:05 - Merilyn Kelly-Buccellati, Los Angeles 28:42 - Stefania Ermidoro, Treviso 35:15 - Yasmine Mahmoud, Damascus 40:56 - Hiba Qassar, Florence 45:22 - Elleni Gizas, Corinth 49:30 - Qin-Yu, Xi'an 54:00 - Samer Abdelghafour, Rome 56:49 - Giorgio Buccellati, Los Angeles 1:03:55 - Lorenzo Crescioli, Florence 1:11:01 - Yingshan Guo, Nanjing 1:16:45 - Amer Ahmad, Qamishli 1:20:39 - Merilyn Kelly-Buccellati, Los Angeles 1:23:00 DISCUSSION 1:27:58”

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