Dear All,

 

The Institute of Archaeo-Metallurgical Studies (IAMS) is traditionally organizing a Summer School on ancient mining and metallurgy. This usually takes place at the UCL Institute of Archaeology, sometime in June/July, usually for 2 weeks, and  gathers both students and professionals with interest in archaeometallurgy (you can also check www.ucl.ac.uk/iams/).

 

This year, the Summer School will be held in Beijing, China, in collaboration with the University of Science and Technology Beijing, Institute for Historical Metallurgy and Materials, from 18^th July to 31^st July, 2009. It will have a mixed European / Western and Chinese audience, and also mixed teaching.

 

Program (preliminary): We expect students to arrive on Sunday 19 July midday-ish (ie on an overnight flight from Europe leaving Saturday evening; other times may apply for non-European flights). On Monday 20 we are invited to attend a locally organised one-day conference on cast iron, in English, but not as a taught programme; this gives our own teachers and students a day to acclimatise. Tuesday to Thursday will be mining archaeology; Friday, Saturday and Sunday are currently earmarked for sight seeing (Great Wall, Palace Museum, shopping). Mon 27 July to Thu 30 covers smelting and metallurgy, with return flights pencilled in for Fri 31 July noon-ish, arriving back in Europe the same evening (local time).

 

Costs and funding. We have been successful in obtaining a grant to support the organisation of this school from the UK Research Council's China Office. This allows us to support the local accommodation costs & food during teaching days for successful participants from the UK (and unfortunately from the UK only). Expected costs for all other participants are c GBP 700.- for accommodation and food during the two weeks; in addition, all participants will have to pay for their international flight (c £600 from London). Accommodation will be provided locally on campus, incl. food during teaching days only. Participants are expected to arrange for their own food during the weekends, and for entry fees to museums and public sites such as the Great Wall.

 

Places are limited, particularly for the UK-based funding. Please submit your application for participation as a matter of urgency to me ([log in to unmask] or Miljana Radivojevic [log in to unmask] ). If you want to apply for the funding support please include a brief statement of your current educational status as a student at a UK university, and your particular interests related to this Summer School.

 

In order to sort out visas, flights etc. it would be good if you replied by the mid of May at the latest please. Should you have any questions regarding this workshop, particularly in regards to funding and overall costs, don’t hesitate to ask Miljana or me ([log in to unmask]).

 

Best wishes,

 

Thilo

 

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Professor Thilo Rehren
Chair, Archaeological Materials and Technologies
UCL Institute of Archaeology
31-34 Gordon Square
London WC1H 0PY
Great Britain