Five- day 1st YOCOCU School for students and young professionals on conservation, restoration and management of archaeological sites arranged in Medieval Agsu Town Archaeological Tourism Complex on 6-12 October, 2014 at initiative of MIRAS Social Organization in Support of Studying of Cultural Heritage, with support of Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan, ANAS, Agsu region Executive Power and YOCOCU Association of Italy.
The school opened first in the field of restoration and conservation in Azerbaijan had 40 participants. The participants will be divided into several groups with different specialties.
The school is attended by historian, artist and tourism members of MIRAS, students of Baku State University, Azerbaijan State Pedagogical University, Qafqaz University, Khazar University and Azerbaijan State Academy of Fine Arts, as well as the representatives of “Yanardag” State Historical and Nature Reserve, Shabran History and Culture Reserve, Chiraggala History and Architecture Reserve, “Ateshgah” Temple, Zagatala State Natural Reserve, ANAS National Museum of History of Azerbaijan, Museum of National Literature named after Nizami Ganjavi and teachers from Agsu schools.
The classes are held by chairman of MIRAS Social Organization, Ph.D Fariz Khalilli, Doctor of Historical Sciences Gafar Jabiyev from Azerbaijan; from Italy Andrea Macchia, conservation scientist with a PhD in applied science to the protection of environment and cultural heritage; research fellow at University of Calabria, Department biology, ecology and earth science, Silvestro Ruffolo, restorer of mural paintings and stones in Parma University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Marta Caroselli; from Peru anthropologist and cultural tourism expert Alvaro Higueras; metal expert in Central Restoration and Conservation Laboratory of Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism, Uğur Genç.
The participants were inhabited in the tents created in the base of Medieval Agsu Town Archaeological Tourism Complex and provided with any kind of equipments.
After acquaintance with Medieval Agsu town, assistant chief of Medieval Agsu town and chairman of MIRAS Social Organization, Fariz Khalilli and member of the expedition and archaeologist, Elmira Abbasova familiarized the participants with artifacts found from Bayimli Village, Mehravan Castle and around. Instructor Laura Rivaroli shared important knowledge for the participants on documentation, easy conservation methods of the finds. Along with theoretical knowledge, practical work was also implemented during the course.
Fariz Khalilli brought the notice of the participants statigraphic methods during excavation work, artifact documentation and their restoration from archaeological aspect. Later Italian experts Laura Rivaroli, Marta Caroselli, Silvio Ruffolo and Andrea Macchia gave wide information to the participants on collection of data of the findings, taking their photos, their conservation ways and responded the questions. Throughout the course, participants will be encouraged to draw upon their collective expertise from various specializations to help them arrive at more effective conservation solutions.
In content and structure, the course has been developed to address the following topics and skills as they pertain to interdisciplinary approaches to the conservation and valorisation of Agsu site.