Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology

The Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology (PCMA; Polish: Centrum Archeologii Śródziemnomorskiej im. Kazimierza Michałowskiego UW) operates as an independent research institute of the University of Warsaw under the present name since 1990. It is dedicated to organizing, implementing and coordinating archaeological research, both excavations and study projects, as well as conservation, reconstruction and restoration projects, in northeastern Africa, the Near East and Cyprus. Projects include sites covering a broad chronological spectrum from the dawn of civilization (prehistoric times) through all the historic periods of the ancient Mediterranean civilizations to Late Antiquity and early Islam. Tasks beside fieldwork include comprehensive documentation of finds, archives management and publication of the results in keeping with international research standards. The PCMA manages the Research Centre in Cairo.

History

The PCMA draws on the pioneering archaeological work of Polish archaeologist and egyptologist Prof. Kazimierz Michałowski, who established in 1959 the Research Station of Mediterranean Archaeology in Cairo, the first Polish institution dedicated to archaeological research in the Nile Valley.

Research projects and teams

The PCMA currently runs 28 archaeological projects and teams (data for 2012). Detailed information on the scope of the projects are presented on the Center’s home page, including an online scientific Newsletter.

Egypt

• Polish–Egyptian Archaeological and Restoration Mission to Kom el-Dikka in Alexandria
• Polish Archaeological Mission in Marina el-Alamein
• Polish–Egyptian Restoration Mission in Marina el-Alamein
• Polish Archaeological Mission in Marea
• Polish–Slovakian Archaeological Mission in Tell el-Retaba
• Polish Archaeological Mission in Tell el-Farkha
• The Tell el-Farkha “Golden Mission”
• Polish–Egyptian Archaeological Mission in Saqqara
• Polish Archaeological Mission in Naqlun (Deir el Malaq Ghubrail)
• Polish–Egyptian Archaeological and Restoration Mission to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari
• Polish–French Epigraphic Mission to the Temple of Queen Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari
• The Tuthmosis III Temple Mission in Deir el-Bahari
• Polish Archaeological Mission in Sheikh Abd el-Gurna (Coptic hermitage)
• Polish Conservation Mission “Gurna Manuscripts”
• Polish Epigraphic Mission in the Tomb of Ramesses VI
• The Berenike Project: Polish–American Mission to Berenike and the Eastern Desert
• Dakhleh Oasis Project (D.O.P.): Petroglyph Unit

Sudan

• Polish Archaeological Mission in Old Dongola
• Polish–Sudanese Archaeological Mission in Banganarti and Selib
• The Early Makuria Research Project between the 3rd and 4th Cataract

Syria

• Polish Archaeological Mission in Tell Qaramel
• Polish–Syrian Archaeological Mission in Tell Arbid
• The Polish–Syrian "Palmyra Tariff" Mission in Palmyra

Lebanon

• Polish–Lebanese Archaeological Mission in Jiyeh (Porphyreon)
• Polish–Lebanese Restoration Mission to the Church in Kfar Helda
• Polish–Lebanese Restoration Mission to the Church in Mar Elias near Btina in Beirut

Cyprus

• Polish Archaeological Mission in Kato Paphos

Kuwait

• The Kuwaiti–Polish Archaeological Mission

Publications

The PCMA publishes the results of its excavation and restoration projects in two journals and a series of monographs.

Journals

• Polish Archaeology in the Mediterranean (PAM)
• Studia Palmyreńskie

Series

• PAM Monograph Series
• PCMA Excavation Series

Conferences

The PCMA UW is a joint organizer of the annual “Poles on the Nile” conference, presenting the results of excavations carried out by Polish teams working in Egypt and Sudan. In 2006 the Polish Centre coorganized the 11th International Conference of Nubian Studies and in 2012 the 8th International Congress of the Archaeology of the Ancient Near East (ICAANE), the most important and well attended archaeological conferences in their respective fields.

References

External links

• Polish Centre of Mediterranean Archaeology home page
• Centrum Archeologii Śródziemnomorskiej on Facebook
• "Poles on the Nile" conference
• 11th International Conference of Nubian Studies