Training the next generation of archaeological scientists: Interdisciplinary studies of pre-modern Plasters and Ceramics from the eastern Mediterranean

PlaCe is a state-of-the-art, interdisciplinary ETN that aims at training-through-research the next generation of archaeological scientists, integrating a wide range of theoretical and analytical methods for the comprehensive study of pre-modern plasters and ceramics, the first synthetic materials produced by humankind.

The interdisciplinary study of these materials from the pre-modern eastern Mediterranean, as well as the technologies, technological know-how, raw materials, and tools developed and employed through the millennia for their production, will provide the framework for the implementation of high-quality training that will assist the recruited early-stage researchers to face current and future challenges in the fields of archaeological sciences and cultural heritage.

The eight universities and research centres composing the consortium of PlaCe will join forces in partnerships with other universities and entities from the public and private sectors, in order to facilitate the researchers’ mobility, to develop their analytical and transferable skills, and to increase their employability.

At the same time, the multiple individual research projects accommodated by PlaCe will contribute to our enhanced understanding of the evolution of plaster and ceramic premodern technologies, and their adoption in differing social settings, contributing to the history and archaeology of Europe and the eastern Mediterranean.