Dear Colleagues,
If you have the opportunity to attend the 21st ICOM-CC Triennial Conference in Oslo, Norway, 14-18 September 2026, I would like to cordially invite you to the Archaeological Materials and Sites Working Group's session of papers, posters and planning meeting that will occur on Tuesday, 15 September 2026 during the conference.
The Working Group's session will consist of:
14:00 - 14:30 A virgin find: Conservation and analysis of a unique discovery of medieval religious ivories
14:30 - 15:00 Enhancing conservation in Antarctic archaeology: Communicating research results beyond scientific circles
15:00 - 15:30 Break and dedicated poster session for the Working Group. An opportunity to speak to the authors by their posters.
15:30 - 16:00 Developing a conservation strategy for the Mycenaean earth structure at Kynos. A rare opportunity, a great challenge
16:00 - 16:30 Contemporary archaeological artefacts: New challenges for conservator-restorers
16:30 - 17:00 Archaeological Materials and Sites Working Group planning session/meeting
And the Working Group's posters on display during the conference will be:
Khufu's Second Boat: A new nanocomposite blend of hydroxypropyl cellulose, polyvinyl butyral, and cellulose nanocrystals for the reinforcement of thermally degraded treated wood
The role of the conservator in an archaeological project: A case study from the 2024 excavation of a Gallo-Roman burial site in Pontoise, France
Casting light on cultural heritage through interdisciplinary research – The BEAM research group
An omics approach to the characterization of plant gums in heritage Egyptian funerary sets
Analysis and study of Nianliao: The Chinese traditional caulking material found in ancient wooden shipwrecks
Planning Meeting:
I would also like to highlight that the Working Group's planning meeting will include the introduction and discussion of a new initiative at the Getty Foundation, Archaeological Heritage Climate Adaptation. Lori Wong, Senior Program Officer at the Getty Foundation, has been working on the initiative and will join the meeting. She would like to engage with and gather ideas from the attendees, learning where conservators see the greatest knowledge gaps and research needs related to climate adaptation for archaeological heritage.
Lori has written the following introduction about the initiative:
"The Getty Foundation is launching a new global initiative, Archaeological Heritage Climate Adaptation, which aims to strengthen climate-informed approaches to archaeological site preservation. The initiative also seeks to raise awareness that climate change threatens not only archaeological sites but also buried archaeological deposits at risk from coastal erosion, flooding, fire, permafrost thaw, the drying of peat bogs, and other climate-driven changes, as well as archaeological materials newly exposed by glacial melt. The program supports interdisciplinary projects in which conservation helps shape values- and evidence-based climate adaptation strategies, with an emphasis on implementing, testing, and evaluating practical approaches that build resilience while advancing conservation knowledge and practice."
We hope the meeting provides the opportunity to connect over this growing concern and start a dialogue that continues well beyond the conference.
And, if you would like to become involved in the Working Group, consider joining ICOM-CC and becoming an Assistant Coordinator. The Working Group will need new Assistant Coordinators for the upcoming 2026 - 2029 Triennium Period.
Please get in touch if you have any questions.
With thanks and best regards,
Francis
Coordinator of the ICOM-CC Archaeological Materials and Sites Working Group
Archaeological Conservator
NTNU University Museum
Institute of Archaeology and Cultural History
Trondheim, Norway
francis.lukezic@ntnu.no