Following the 1st and the 2nd successful conferences on "Archaeology and Conservation along the Silk Road" held respectively in 2014 and 2016 at the Northwest as well as Nanjing University in China, the 3rd international conference on the same theme was held for the first time in Iran in November 2018.
Organized by the Iranian Research Institute of Cultural Heritage and Tourism in cooperation with the ECO Cultural Institute, Nanjing University and the University of Applied Arts of Vienna, the highly multidisciplinary conference was held in Yam Caravanserai in Tabriz (Capital of Tourism of Islamic Countries in 2018) sand brought together experts from around the globe in the fields of conservation, archaeology and art history focusing on sites along the Silk Road. At the conference, participants presented papers in the following categories:
I. Archaeology: 1) Migration and interaction of ancient peoples along the Silk Road; 2) Trade of goods (ceramic, metal, textile, jewels etc.); 3) Exchange of Culture (religion, art, and technology, etc.); 4) Transmission of domesticated plants and animals; 5) Spread of adobe architecture; 6) Climate and environment patterns as major factors for the Silk Road; 7) Mapping the Silk Road by modern technologies (GIS, Laser-scanning, etc.).
II. Preservation and Conservation: 1) Building remains (stone structures, earthen architecture, etc.); 2) Architectural decoration (mural painting, mosaic, etc.); 3) Organic and inorganic artifacts (paper, textile, ceramics, metal, glass, etc.); 4) Site management (monitoring and care of excavated sites, etc.); 5) Material sciences and conservation (analytical methods, etc.); 6) Training in conservation.
III. Special issues in Tabriz: 1) Theoretical Fundamentals about the Silk Road; 2) Intangible Cultural Heritage along the Silk Road; 3) Theoretical framework for dialogue between conservation and development; 4) Cities, villages and Tribes along the Silk Road.
The conference concluded with a visit to the museum and historical sites of Tabriz.