International conference on Riace Bronzes at MArRC with over thirty scholars and researchers

From November 10-12, 2022, the International Conference Bronzes of Riace: 50 Years of Study and Research will be held on the terrace of the MArRC - National Archaeological Museum of Reggio Calabria. More than thirty researchers and scholars who have dealt with the Riace Bronzes from August 16, 1972 to the present will meet in a three-day event of presentations, insights, new findings and proposals.

The celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Riace Bronzes promoted by the Region of Calabria then continue with a conference organized by the Regional Secretariat of the Ministry of Culture for Calabria. Underwater archaeology thus meets ancient art, restoration and enhancement of the territory with four dedicated in-depth sections that will feature great scholars, archaeologists and others, from Italy and abroad.

The underwater archaeology section of the conference will present the research campaigns covering the area of the Bronzes’ discovery until October 29, 2022. Among the appointments, the direct protagonists of the archaeological research investigations on the seabed in front of Riace Marina will present to the public the results of the research activities with focus on an archaeological excavation “in reverse,” starting from the day of discovery until the most recent survey campaign conducted by the Regional Secretariat of the Ministry of Culture for Calabria with its own underwater archaeologist officer in agreement with the specialty departments of the Carabinieri - Carabinieri Scuba Diving Unit of Messina, Carabinieri Scuba Diving Training Center of Genoa and Carabinieri Cultural Heritage Protection Unit of Cosenza.

The History of Ancient Art section proposes the studies that have been elaborated since the discovery and that do not stop, testifying to the importance of the discovery of the two statues in the sea of Riace and their topicality. The latest results will be presented, including the important contribution of very recent research in Greece with the identification of the area where the two statues were cast. A new series of studies also reveals the importance of reconstructing Mediterranean routes in antiquity, supported by an increasing number of findings of wrecks with associated cargo. Two papers will address this issue, reaching important conclusions for underwater archaeology.

For the restoration section, the international conference compares interdisciplinary studies for the prevention and protection of the Riace Bronzes. Their story does not end with their discovery and recovery: the conservation of the two statues constitutes a series of chapters that add to what has already been said and illustrated so far. The reports of the conference intend to open new scenarios, proposing new ways about the ordinary and extraordinary maintenance of the two masterpieces, which are subjected to new and continuous impacts that need to be addressed quickly and with knowledge. In this sense, the Riace Bronzes become pathfinders for new restoration techniques and methods.

The fourth section insists on new avenues of enhancement. In the last quarter of the twentieth century, the world has radically changed with the rise of the Internet and new communication techniques. The ongoing transformation also affects the Riace Bronzes and all of underwater archaeology in the Mediterranean: from earthquake-resistant techniques for preserving artifacts to lighting, from temperature to the degree of humidity determined by the number of visitors present. New and decisive importance is also given to the environment that has guarded the submerged archaeological sites over time: the water of the Mediterranean, which becomes a co-star along with the Riace Bronzes.

To access the Conference, due to limited places, it is necessary to register, starting Nov. 8, at the following link prenotazione@bbpromoservice.it

The Conference will be broadcast live on the Facebook page of the MiC Regional Secretariat for Calabria https://www.facebook.com/beniculturalicalabria

For info, program and insights: www.bronzi50.it

International conference on Riace Bronzes at MArRC with over thirty scholars and researchers

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