ICAA
International Centre for Albanian Archaeology
 |
 |
Latest News
Promotion of the ICAA Monograph Series Nr. 2
THE COMPLEX OF TUMULI 9, 10 and 11 in the NECROPOLIS of APOLLONIA (ALBANIA) by Maria Grazia Amore
On April 20, 2010 in the hall “Aleks Buda” of the Academy of Sciences was held the promotion of the new publication of the ICAA Monograph Series
Changes were brought to the “Cultural Heritage Law”
Recently some important changes were brought to the “Cultural Heritage Law” approved in 2003.
About us
The International Centre for Albanian Archaeology was created and started its activity in late 1999, as an institution funded by the Packard Humanities Institute to sustain Albanian Archaeology. Albania was coming out from very difficult years of drastic political changes and economic challenges, and the ICAA was intended as a non governmental institution with a special place within the whole archaeological system of the country.
Since its foundation, ICAA has created a serious profile and played an important role within the system of research, education and archaeological practice in Albania, undertaking numerous projects of multiple components and effects. It has been a reference point of the community as a whole and a factor of its cohesion. This was the aim of the Seminar Series inaugurated with great success in 2005 (more details). The clear articulation of goals and objectives as well as of the modalities of collaboration with Albanian public institutions is followed by numerous achievements.
ICAA during the last years has followed scientific standards for the practice of archaeological fieldwork and has also given its contribution towards bringing these standards up to date. Particularly, has contributed in stratigraphical excavation technique, single context planning, data recording, and post-excavation data managing and storing. One of the first measures of the Centre was the development of a data recording system that would unify documentation methodologies across institutions. The set of pre-printed recording sheet, the database, and the site manual were presented in a seminar (more details); since its introduction the new system has successfully been adopted by the wider archaeological community.
ICAA is particularly supportive to students and young archaeologists, not only by offering its equipment and laboratory facilities, but also by involving them in all fieldwork projects, and tries to create the necessary conditions for setting up real field-schools for the archaeology students.
One of the priorities of ICAA is certainly its open relation with the general public. We use all forms of communication (electronic, internet, newspaper articles, small publications, seminars, and so on) not only to make known the activity of the Centre, but also to make the general public aware of the archaeological values and their place and role in the future development of the country.
The whole activity of the Centre is reflected not only in the fieldwork, but also in different publications, which are not limited to excavation reports, but include scholarly writings and articles for peer reviewed journals, and monographs. In 2006 the ICAA Monograph Series was started (more details).
Today, after 10 years, the ICAA is repositioning itself in the archaeological community acknowledging the changes of a developing society with new structures. It engages much more in academic training and the field work is also planned according to teaching programs of the University of Tirana.
The Management of Archaeological and Cultural Heritage is also a very important part of ICAA activity, and our NGO is building partnerships with both local and international institutions in order to achieve its goals.