Department of Archaeology, Durham University
Landscapes of Complex Society Research Group/ Durham Centre for Cultural Heritage Protection
The Abbasid capital at Samarra: the current situation and its research potential
Monday 27th June 13:00-16:00 (BST)
Samarra, located 100 km north of Baghdad, was the Abbasid capital between its foundation in 836 AD/CE until about 892 AD/CE. At 5,800 hectares extending 40km along the Tigris, and with the plans of around 6,400 separate buildings recorded, it is one the largest archaeological sites in the world and without doubt the most important evidence available for the nature of Abbasid urban layout. The site also holds the answers to many important questions about the nature of Abbasid society and power. Yet the extensive remains are steadily being destroyed through development and agriculture.
Following the publication of the Historical Topography of Samarra (Northedge 2005) and the Archaeological Atlas of Samarra (Northedge and Kennet 2015) this workshop is intended to take a look at the current condition of the site and to discuss plans for future research.
13:00 Derek Kennet Introduction; An Outline of Samarra and its development
13:30 Alastair Northedge The Samarra Archaeological Survey, potential, evolving technology, and achievements in context
14:00 William Deadman The Samarra Atlas GIS archive: assessing damage and threats to the site using remote sensing
14:25 Tea/coffee
14:50 Peter Brown Water supply and water-use at Samarra: exploring the evidence and potential for future research
15:10 Tim Power Samarra – Horizons, Near and Far
15:30 Discussion
16:00 Close
The workshop will be held in person in room D210 in the Dawson Building, Durham University and also online at the following Zoom link:
https://durhamuniversity.zoom.us/j/94350719997?pwd=YkxZbEpxdHVsNjZOVllrS0Y2bEhYZz09
Meeting ID: 943 5071 9997 / Passcode: 374237
Attendance in both formats is free and all are welcome to come along to listen and to contribute to the discussion.
